At least 14 workers from Assam’s Gelapukhuri Tea Estate in Tinsukia were killed when their truck plunged into a 1,000-feet-deep gorge on the treacherous Hayuliang-Chaglagam Road in Arunachal Pradesh’s Anjaw district on December 8. The workers were en route to a construction site when the tragedy struck.
The victims were said to be part of a 22-member group from Tinsukia district who had departed on December 8 for construction work in the remote mountainous region. Due to the isolated location of the accident site, authorities were only informed on Wednesday night, December 10, prompting immediate mobilisation of rescue operations.
Rescue teams battled challenging terrain and dangerous conditions from Thursday morning, with Anjaw Deputy Commissioner Millo Kojin and Superintendent of Police Anurag Dwivedi personally overseeing the recovery operations. One seriously injured worker was pulled out alive from the wreckage.
Tinsukia District Commissioner Swapneel Paul confirmed the incident, stating, “At around 11 am we got information that a vehicle has fallen down in a gorge in Anjaw district. Accordingly, we contacted the DCs of Arunachal Pradesh’s Anjaw and Lohit for confirmation. Both the deputy commissioners said that rescue teams have so far recovered 14 bodies and one person alive. Seven others are still missing.”
Tinsukia Senior Superintendent of Police Mayank Kumar said, “A police team from Tinsukia has been sent to the accident site. We will be able to provide more information after some time once they reach there.”
According to unofficial figures from local sources, 19 workers from Gelapukhuri Tea Estate may have perished in the accident. The identified victims include Budheswar Deep (23), Rahul Kumar (25), Somir Deep (22), Arjun Kumar (34), Pankaj Manki (20), Ajay Manki (30), Bijay Kumar (36), Abhay Bhumij (33), Rohit Manki (32), Birendra Kumar (24), Agar Tanti (24), Dhiren Chetia (28), Rajani Naag (24), Deep Gowala (28), Ramchabak Sonar (26), Sonatan Naag (56), Sanjay Kumar (36), Karan Kumar (20), and Jonas Munda (20).
The Hayuliang-Chaglagam Road, known for its narrow stretches and steep drops, has been the site of multiple accidents in recent years. The remote location and difficult accessibility of the region have consistently posed challenges for emergency response teams and rescue operations.
