Arunachal Tragedy: Death of 21 workers in truck accident came to light 2 days later when lone survivor reached a BRO camp, contractor Sirajul Ahmed arrested

In a tragic incident, a vehicle carrying 22 labourers plunged into a deep gorge on the Hayuliang-Chaglagam road in Anjaw district in Arunachal Pradesh on 8th December. However, the incident came to light two days later, on Wednesday (10th December), after the lone injured survivor managed to reach a GREF (General Reserve Engineer Force) Camp of BRO (Border Roads Organisation). He informed the personnel there about the accident, in which 21 labourers are feared dead. The bodies of 7 labourers have so far been recovered in the rescue operation that began on 11th December. Efforts are going on to pull out the rest of the mortal remains from the deep gorge in the remote location. In the meantime, contractor Sirajul Ahmed has been arrested by the Arunachal Police and is being questioned. Authorities came to know about the accident only after the lone survivor informed them According to Anjaw superintendent of police (SP) Anurag Dwivedi, the vehicle carrying a group of 22 labourers left Tinsukia district in Assam on Sunday (7th December) for Chaglagam in Arunachal Pradesh, near the India-China border, where they were engaged for construction work. When the labourers did not arrive at the construction site by 10th December, their associates raised an alarm at the Hayuliang police station. Subsequently, Hayuliang police mobilised local sources to locate the missing labourers. As the Hayuliang police were searching for the missing labourers, they found out about the lone survivor, Buddheswar Deep, who was receiving first aid at the BRO camp. After surviving the accident, injured Buddheswar Deep managed to climb around 300 meters from the gorge, and then walked for 2 days through treacherous and forested terrain to reach the Chipra GREF camp on Wednesday night. Personnel at the camp were shocked to learn about the incident that took place at Laliang village between Hayuliang and Chaglagam in Anjaw district, which borders both Myanmar and China. By the next morning, the district administration and the BRO began a search-and-rescue operation. Deep informed the authorities about the exact site of the accident. The survivor was later moved to Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh for treatment. Talking about the incident, he said, “There were 22 people in the blue truck…. I fell asleep while listening to songs on my mobile phone. Don’t know how I fell, how I got up and where my mobile phone is. I walked (to the camp). It was very difficult.” He said that another worker was alive in the truck, but he could not do anything as he himself was badly injured, and the terrain is very difficult. Multiple Army teams, assisted by medical units, GREF personnel, NDRF teams, local police and the civil administration, are engaged in the operation to bring up the bodies. Around 100 personnel have been deployed in the operation. An NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) team of 30 personnel reached Hayuliang from Dibrugarh on Thursday evening. The teams descended the nearly 200-metre-deep gorge using belay ropes and located the mangled vehicle after around 4 hours of effort. They have identified 19 bodies so far, out of which 7 have been brought up, one by one. Some bodies remained untraced. The recovered bodies have been shifted to the District Hospital in Hayuliang for post-mortem and further formalities. Giving updates on the rescue operation, the District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO) for Anjaw, Nang Chingni Choupoo, said that the rescue team is making all possible efforts to retrieve the dead bodies. “Today (Saturday, 13th December) is the third day of the rescue operation, and the joint rescue team has started the operation and is trying everything possible to retrieve the bodies. On Friday, the search operation at the site was suspended after the recovery of six bodies due to darkness, with the NDRF team returning to its night halt location at Metengliang.” Choupoo said the body of the seventh worker was recovered on Saturday,” Choupoo said. “They (the bodies) were handed over to the civil police in the presence of district authorities and representatives from Tinsukia district administration,” she added. The rescue operation is facing difficulties due to rough terrain The DDMO said that the rescue team has been facing difficulties in the rescue operation due to the rough terrain of the area. 19 victims have so far been identified by the authorities, and 18 bodies have been spotted. The victims who have been indentified are- Gudheswor Deep (23), Rahul Kumar (25), Somir Deep (22), Arjun Kumar (28), Pankaj Manki (20), Ajay Manki (30), Abjay Kumar (26), Abhoy Dhuria (24), Rohit Manki (20), Dhirendra Kumar (22), Ador Tanti (24), Dhiren Chariya (28), Rojoin Nag (21), Deep Gogala (28), Ramselok Buna (26), Samaron Nag (26), Binay Kumar (26), Karan Kumar (26) and Junash Munda (20). 18 out of the 22 labourers hailed from the Gilapukhuri Tea Estate in Assam’s Tinsukia district.

Dec 13, 2025 1

Arunachal Tragedy: Death of 21 workers in truck accident came to light 2 days later when lone survivor reached a BRO camp, contractor Sirajul Ahmed arrested

In a tragic incident, a vehicle carrying 22 labourers plunged into a deep gorge on the Hayuliang-Chaglagam road in Anjaw district in Arunachal Pradesh on 8th December. However, the incident came to light two days later, on Wednesday (10th December), after the lone injured survivor managed to reach a GREF (General Reserve Engineer Force) Camp of BRO (Border Roads Organisation). He informed the personnel there about the accident, in which 21 labourers are feared dead.

The bodies of 7 labourers have so far been recovered in the rescue operation that began on 11th December. Efforts are going on to pull out the rest of the mortal remains from the deep gorge in the remote location.

In the meantime, contractor Sirajul Ahmed has been arrested by the Arunachal Police and is being questioned.

Authorities came to know about the accident only after the lone survivor informed them

According to Anjaw superintendent of police (SP) Anurag Dwivedi, the vehicle carrying a group of 22 labourers left Tinsukia district in Assam on Sunday (7th December) for Chaglagam in Arunachal Pradesh, near the India-China border, where they were engaged for construction work. When the labourers did not arrive at the construction site by 10th December, their associates raised an alarm at the Hayuliang police station. Subsequently, Hayuliang police mobilised local sources to locate the missing labourers. As the Hayuliang police were searching for the missing labourers, they found out about the lone survivor, Buddheswar Deep, who was receiving first aid at the BRO camp.

After surviving the accident, injured Buddheswar Deep managed to climb around 300 meters from the gorge, and then walked for 2 days through treacherous and forested terrain to reach the Chipra GREF camp on Wednesday night. Personnel at the camp were shocked to learn about the incident that took place at Laliang village between Hayuliang and Chaglagam in Anjaw district, which borders both Myanmar and China. By the next morning, the district administration and the BRO began a search-and-rescue operation.

Deep informed the authorities about the exact site of the accident. The survivor was later moved to Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh for treatment. Talking about the incident, he said, “There were 22 people in the blue truck…. I fell asleep while listening to songs on my mobile phone. Don’t know how I fell, how I got up and where my mobile phone is. I walked (to the camp). It was very difficult.”

He said that another worker was alive in the truck, but he could not do anything as he himself was badly injured, and the terrain is very difficult.

Multiple Army teams, assisted by medical units, GREF personnel, NDRF teams, local police and the civil administration, are engaged in the operation to bring up the bodies. Around 100 personnel have been deployed in the operation. An NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) team of 30 personnel reached Hayuliang from Dibrugarh on Thursday evening.

The teams descended the nearly 200-metre-deep gorge using belay ropes and located the mangled vehicle after around 4 hours of effort. They have identified 19 bodies so far, out of which 7 have been brought up, one by one. Some bodies remained untraced. The recovered bodies have been shifted to the District Hospital in Hayuliang for post-mortem and further formalities.

Giving updates on the rescue operation, the District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO) for Anjaw, Nang Chingni Choupoo, said that the rescue team is making all possible efforts to retrieve the dead bodies. “Today (Saturday, 13th December) is the third day of the rescue operation, and the joint rescue team has started the operation and is trying everything possible to retrieve the bodies. On Friday, the search operation at the site was suspended after the recovery of six bodies due to darkness, with the NDRF team returning to its night halt location at Metengliang.” Choupoo said the body of the seventh worker was recovered on Saturday,” Choupoo said. “They (the bodies) were handed over to the civil police in the presence of district authorities and representatives from Tinsukia district administration,” she added.

The rescue operation is facing difficulties due to rough terrain

The DDMO said that the rescue team has been facing difficulties in the rescue operation due to the rough terrain of the area. 19 victims have so far been identified by the authorities, and 18 bodies have been spotted. The victims who have been indentified are- Gudheswor Deep (23), Rahul Kumar (25), Somir Deep (22), Arjun Kumar (28), Pankaj Manki (20), Ajay Manki (30), Abjay Kumar (26), Abhoy Dhuria (24), Rohit Manki (20), Dhirendra Kumar (22), Ador Tanti (24), Dhiren Chariya (28), Rojoin Nag (21), Deep Gogala (28), Ramselok Buna (26), Samaron Nag (26), Binay Kumar (26), Karan Kumar (26) and Junash Munda (20). 18 out of the 22 labourers hailed from the Gilapukhuri Tea Estate in Assam’s Tinsukia district. The Sub-Contractor of the Zilla Parishad Member (ZPM), Chaglagam, is being questioned to verify the details of labourers engaged in the construction project.

The Indian Army, along with the teams of the National Disaster Relief Management (NDRF), the State Disaster Relief Management (SDRF), the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF), and local police, has been conducting the rescue operation. Speaking about the accident, Defence PRO Lt Col Mahendra Rawat said that the accident site, which lies about 12 km short of Chaglagam, is a remote area with an extremely rugged terrain. This is the reason that local agencies did not come to know about the accident until the survivor approached them on Wednesday.

The next day, the Army’s Spear Corps mobilised multiple rescue columns, medical teams, GREF personnel, local police, NDRF teams and the Hayuliang additional deputy commissioner. However, it was only after four hours of search involving rope descent that rescuers spotted the wreckage around 200 metres below the road, hidden by dense forest cover.

Contractor arrested

The police have launched an investigation to find the cause of the accident. As part of the probe, Arunachal Pradesh Police on Thursday arrested Sijajul Ahmed, the contractor who had brought the workers from Assam to Arunachal to work at a construction project. Ahmed was handed over to Assam Police and shifted to Tinsukia in Assam on Friday.

Ahmed is accused of negligence in transporting the workers to such a hostile terrain. Police will also check whether the truck was fit to run on the steep moutain road.

State and centre announce financial aid for the families of the deceased

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu expressed sorrow over the loss of lives in the accident. “Deeply saddened by the tragic vehicle accident in Anjaw. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, and prayers for the speedy recovery of those injured. In this difficult moment, I extend my sincere gratitude to the Indian Army, BRO, the NDRF, and the local administration for their swift response, rescue operations, and tireless efforts in such challenging terrain,” CM Khandu wrote on X, 12th December.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed grief and condolences on the tragic incident. He said that the governments of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are working closely on the rescue activities. He announced an ex gratia amount of ₹5 lakh each for the families of the deceased.

“Nothing can fill the void created by the loss of a loved one, but to provide support so that the family can tide over the initial crisis, we are extending a token of assistance of ₹5 lakh each. Our Govt stands with the families in this moment of grief,” Sarma wrote on X on Friday (12th December).

Prime Minister Modi offered condolences on the unfortunate event and announced financial aid for the families of the victims.

“Distressed by the loss of lives due to a mishap in the Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured. An ex gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000,” the PMO announced on Thursday/

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