Itanagar, Dec 13: The families of workers killed in the Anjaw truck tragedy will receive an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh from the Assam Chief Minister and Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister, while injured survivors will get Rs 50,000 from PMNRF.
Assam Minister for Art and Culture Bimal Borah on Friday said the district administration re-engaged the rescue process after sundown forced a temporary suspension.
“At around 1.40 pm, the first body was brought up from the gorge, and efforts are on to retrieve the remaining bodies. If the lone survivor had not reached us, the situation would have been far worse and the crash might have remained unnoticed,” Borah said. He added that the recovered bodies would be sent for post-mortem examination.
The tragedy occurred when a truck carrying workers from Assam’s Tinsukia district skidded off the Hayuliang–Chaglagam Road on Monday and plunged into a deep gorge. Authorities said six bodies have been recovered so far, while 21 workers are presumed dead, making it one of the deadliest road accidents in the region in recent years.
The accident came to light only on Wednesday nearly two days later when the lone survivor managed to reach the Chipra GREF camp and alert authorities.
His account prompted an immediate response, with the Army launching a large-scale search and rescue operation the same night.
The accident site, located about 12 km short of Chaglagam near KM 40, lies in a remote, forested stretch notorious for poor road connectivity. Dense tree cover had concealed the wreckage, rendering it invisible even to aerial surveillance.
On Thursday, multiple Army teams, assisted by medical units, GREF personnel, NDRF teams, local police and the civil administration, descended the nearly 200-metre-deep gorge using belay ropes and located the mangled vehicle around 11.55 am after nearly four hours of intense effort.
So far, 17 victims have been identified. The recovered bodies have been shifted to the District Hospital in Hayuliang for post-mortem and further formalities. Earlier, Disaster Management Secretary Dani Salu said the operation had to be suspended due to darkness and hazardous terrain, noting that some bodies remained untraced.
Several senior officials and elected representatives visited the site to oversee operations, including Arunachal Pradesh minister and local MLA Dasanglu Pul, who met rescue teams and assured all necessary assistance to the victims’ families.
The ongoing operation involves coordinated efforts from Army (Spear Corps) teams, NDRF, 116 RCC Rifle, 9th Madras Regiment, local police, Tinsukia Police, GREF, DDMA teams from Anjaw and Tinsukia, and district medical and administrative officials. The Anjaw district administration and DDMA, under Deputy Commissioner Millo Kojing, continue to monitor the situation closely.
Despite hazardous terrain and limited visibility, rescue agencies are working round the clock to retrieve the remaining bodies and bring closure to the bereaved families.