Itanagar, July 20: The whereabouts of the 19 workers, belonging to Assam, who went missing last week near the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh’s Kurung Kumey district, is not yet known, officials said on Wednesday.

Kurung Kumey Deputy Commissioner Bengia Nighee said that district and police officials have been sent to Damin to know the whereabouts of the 19 workers, engaged by a contractor to work for a road construction undertaken by the Border Road Organisation (BRO).

“The feedback from the visiting officials was awaiting. The area is an extremely remote and dense forest. Considering the topography of the area, we have given requisition of Indian Air Force helicopter and the NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) to undertake an extensive search operation to locate the workers,” the DC informed.

Nighee said that regarding the recovery of a dead body of a worker, it is yet to be confirmed by the visiting officials.

Earlier on Tuesday, local officials quoting the villagers said that the body of one of the 19 missing workers was recovered from nearby Kumey river.

The incident took place last week but came to light only on Tuesday.

Local villagers and police fear that all the workers might have drowned in the Kumey river.

The BRO has been constructing several infrastructural projects along the China border in Arunachal Pradesh.

Villagers reportedly informed the police that the workers left their work site after the contractor refused to grant leave for some days and then the tragedy happened.

The workers had taken the shortcut jungle route to return to their homes in Kokrajhar and Dhubri of Assam.

Meanwhile, a case has been registered with the district police.