Itanagar: The administration in Arunachal Pradesh’s Anjaw district on Monday officially called off the search and rescue operation following a deadly truck accident in which labourers from Assam fell into a deep gorge in a remote and difficult terrain, officials said. 

An official said that till Sunday, 20 bodies had been recovered, while one injured survivor was rescued earlier after several days of extensive search operations conducted by disaster response teams and security forces. 

The mishap occurred on the night of December 8 when a mini-truck carrying 21 workers, including the driver, from Assam’s Tinsukia district, fell off a cliff along the Hayuliang-Chaglagam road in eastern Arunachal Pradesh. 

The accident came to light only on the evening of December 10, after the lone survivor managed to reach a nearby Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) labour camp and alerted authorities. 

The search operation, which began on December 11, was formally concluded on Monday after exhaustive efforts in extremely challenging terrain with limited connectivity. The bodies of the deceased have been handed over to their respective families. 

The lone survivor is undergoing treatment in Dibrugarh

The lone survivor, identified as Budheswar Deep (23), is currently undergoing treatment at the Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh. 

Earlier reports had suggested that 22 labourers were on board the ill-fated vehicle, but the senior superintendent of police of Assam’s Tinsukia district later confirmed that there were 21 workers in total. 

Defence spokesman Lt Col Mahendra Rawat had said that the Indian Army launched a major search and rescue operation in the Chaglagam region based on information received late on December 10. 

On December 11, the Army’s Spear Corps mobilised multiple search and rescue columns, medical teams, GREF personnel, local police, NDRF teams and officials from the civil administration. Despite harsh weather, poor visibility and rugged terrain, coordinated efforts were made by the Army and civil agencies to locate the victims and provide assistance. 

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi earlier expressed grief over the tragic incident. 

The Prime Minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. 

The Assam government also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the deceased workers.