18 Assam Workers Die as Truck Falls Into Arunachal Gorge mom

• By Thetripurapost Desk, Itanagar
• Dec 11, 2025
• 542

At least 18 labourers from Assam’s Tinsukia district died and three others went missing after a truck carrying them plunged into a deep gorge in Arunachal Pradesh’s Anjaw district, officials confirmed on Thursday. The accident occurred on December 8 along the remote Hayuliang–Chaglagam Road when the vehicle, transporting 22 workers, skidded off the hilly route and crashed nearly 200 metres below.

The tragedy went unreported for nearly two days due to the region’s treacherous terrain and poor connectivity. The incident came to light only after the lone survivor managed to climb out of the gorge on December 10 and reached a nearby Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) camp, where he received medical aid.

The Army’s Spear Corps, BRTF personnel, local police, and district administration launched a massive search-and-rescue operation on Thursday. The wreckage was located after four hours of rope-assisted descent through dense foliage. However, the steep gorge prevented immediate retrieval of bodies.

An NDRF team reached Metaliang, around 10 km from Hayuliang, late Thursday and is expected to begin recovery operations on Friday, weather permitting.

Officials said the workers were engaged by a private contractor for a construction project near Hayuliang. The contractor has been detained for questioning, while authorities from both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are coordinating to identify victims and assist families.

The deceased and missing workers hail from Dhelaghat in Gillapukri Tea Estate. One worker, Budheswor Deep, survived and alerted his family on Wednesday morning, prompting authorities to act.

Despite unforgiving terrain and limited visibility, rescue agencies continue efforts to locate the missing and bring back the remains of those killed in one of the region’s deadliest recent road accidents.