22 labourers killed as truck falls off hill in Arunachal Pradesh; 19 victims from Assam

A tragic road accident near Metengliang on the remote Hayuliang–Chaglagam road in Arunachal Pradesh has resulted in the death of at least 22 labourers. The accident occurred when a truck carrying the group fell off a steep hill and plunged into a deep gorge. However, it's still not clear whether the accident took place on Sunday or Monday. 

According to preliminary reports, only one labourer was rescued alive from the crash site. Rescue operations are still underway despite the difficult terrain and limited accessibility of the area.

The labourers were travelling from the Gelapukhuri Tea Estate in Assam’s Tinsukia district to Arunachal Pradesh for contractual work. The 19 labourers from Gelapukhuri have been identified as Budheswar Deep, Rahul Kumar, Sameer Deep, John Kumar, Pankaj Manki, Ajay Manki, Bijay Kumar, Abhay Bhumij, Rohit Manki, Birendra Kumar, Agor Tanti, Dhiren Chetiya, Rajani Nag, Deep Gowala, Ramchabak Sonar, Sonatan Nag, Sanjay Kumar, Karan Kumar, and Jonash Munda.

So far, authorities have recovered 13 bodies from the site, while search teams continue efforts to locate the remaining victims. Local police, district administration, and emergency responders are coordinating operations, but officials say rescue efforts are being hampered by the rugged geography and steep slopes.

The bodies recovered have been sent for post-mortem examination, and the families of the deceased have been notified. Officials from both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are expected to reach the accident site to oversee rescue work and provide necessary support.

This tragic incident has cast a pall of grief over the Gelapukhuri Tea Estate community, where most of the deceased hailed from.

Further details are awaited as rescue operations continue.

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