Eighteen bodies sighted 200 metres below Hayuliang–Chaglagam road in Anjaw district; lone survivor alerts authorities as rescue teams battle hostile terrain
Guwahati (Assam), Dec 11: The Indian Army has launched a major search and rescue operation in Arunachal Pradesh’s Anjaw district after a truck carrying 22 workers from Tinsukia in Assam plunged off a cliff along the Hayuliang–Chaglagam road, officials said on Thursday. Eighteen bodies have been sighted so far as multi-agency teams struggle against steep terrain, dense foliage and poor visibility.
The operation was triggered by information received late on December 10 following the arrival of the lone survivor at the Chipra GREF camp.
Preliminary inputs from him suggest the truck skidded off the road near KM 40 on the night of December 8, about 12 km short of Chaglagam.
The incident had not been reported by any local agency, contractor or civil representative until the survivor managed to reach the camp and raise the alarm, the Army said.
On December 11, Spear Corps mobilised multiple search and rescue columns, medical teams, GREF representatives, local police, NDRF personnel and Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Hayuliang to the area.
Around 11.55 am, after nearly four hours of intensive search and rope descent, the truck was located roughly 200 metres below the road in a re-entrant, in terrain described as inaccessible and not visible either from the road or from helicopters due to thick tree cover.
Eighteen bodies were spotted at the site and are being retrieved using belay ropes, the Army said.
ADC Hayuliang has informed the Superintendent of Police, Anjaw, who has reached the location, while the District Medical Officer is moving in to facilitate evacuation of the injured, if any, and the mortal remains.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), requisitioned by the Deputy Commissioner, is also on its way to the spot.
Authorities are simultaneously working to verify how many workers were on board. ADC Hayuliang is questioning the sub-contractor of the Zila Parishad Member, Chaglagam, to confirm the antecedents and exact strength of the hired labourers.
Despite the harsh terrain, limited connectivity and poor visibility, the Indian Army said it is coordinating closely with the civil administration and other agencies to trace the remaining individuals and provide all possible assistance on the ground.
