Dibrugarh, Dec 13: The bodies of six ill-fated workers killed in the horrific road accident on the Hayuliang–Chaglagam road in Arunachal Pradesh are being brought today to their homes at Gelaphukuri Tea Estate in Assam’s Tinsukia district for last rites.
Confirming the developments, Nang Chingni Choupoo, In-charge District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO), Anjaw district, said the rescue operation entered its third day on Saturday. A joint rescue team resumed operations early in the morning and recovered one more body, taking the total number of bodies retrieved so far to seven.
“On Friday (December 12), the search operation was suspended after the recovery of six bodies due to darkness, and the NDRF team returned to its night halt at Metengliang,” Choupoo said.
She added that during operations on December 12, NDRF personnel systematically retrieved bodies from the deep gorge using technical rope rescue methods. “By evening, six bodies were recovered and handed over to the civil police in the presence of district authorities and representatives of the Tinsukia district administration. After post-mortem examinations, the bodies were handed over to the Tinsukia administration,” she said.
According to the DDMO, teams from the NDRF, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Indian Army, and district administration are jointly engaged in the challenging rescue operation. “This is one of the most difficult rescue missions. Retrieving bodies from the accident site is extremely challenging due to the steep terrain and dangerous road conditions. The operation is time-consuming, and we have advised people not to travel on these roads at night,” she said.
She further explained that search and rescue operations were launched after a detailed assessment of the terrain. “NDRF personnel established a rope-based access route from the road head down to the bottom of the gorge, covering a vertical drop of nearly 200 metres, to safely retrieve the victims,” Choupoo said.
The tragic accident occurred on December 8, 2025, when a mini dumper plunged into a deep gorge along the HMC (Hayuliang–Metengliang–Chaglagam) road near Chaglagam Circle under Hayuliang sub-division in Anjaw district. A total of 22 persons, including the driver, were reportedly on board the vehicle. The accident site is located around 60 km from Hayuliang towards Chaglagam, making access and retrieval extremely difficult.
The incident came to light on the evening of December 10, 2025, when a lone survivor managed to climb up to a nearby Army camp and report the accident. He was given initial medical aid and later shifted to Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH), Dibrugarh, for further treatment. Following this, the Anjaw district administration and the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) initiated rescue operations.
The lone survivor, identified as Budheswor Deep, is currently undergoing treatment at AMCH, Dibrugarh. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visited the hospital on Friday and enquired about his health condition.
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