Anjaw (Arunachal Pradesh) [India], December 13 (ANI): Assam Minister Bimal Borah on Friday visited the accident site of Hayuliang area in Arunachal Pradesh's Anjaw district and took stock of the search & rescue operations.

Twenty-one people from Assam's Tinsukia district died after a truck carrying 22 people fell into a deep gorge on the Hayuliang-Chaglagam road in Anjaw district.

Assam Minister Bimal Borah said that, despite the rugged terrain, deep gorges and dangerous road conditions, our rescue teams are working with extraordinary courage and determination.

'Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia for each of the deceased,' Bimal Borah said.

Millo Kojin, Deputy Commissioner of Anjaw district, told ANI that it seemed the accident occurred in the evening of December 8, around 40 km from Hayuliang towards Chaglagam.

He said, 'The District administration did not get information about the accident either on December 9 or during the daytime of December 10. On the evening of December 10, one of the survivors climbed and reached a nearby BRTF Labour Camp. The injured labourer was given medical aid. The OC BRTF informed DC Anjaw in the evening of December 10. Due to late-night and unreliable conditions, the rescue operation could not take place on December 10. Meanwhile, an immediate requisition was sent to NDRF for a search-and-rescue operation.'

He added, 'On December 11, the army, BRTF, local police and district administration swooned into action, and about 15-16 were located, but the bodies could not be retrieved, and the gorge was very deep, so the expertise of NDRF could only help. The NDRF has been requisitioned and has reached Metaliang, around 10 km from Hayuliang, where it will halt for the night. Since the gorge is very deep and risky, only NDRF expertise can help in retrieving the rest of the bodies. The identities of 18 bodies have been established to date.'

'Twenty-two persons, including the driver, are involved in the accident. The mini truck is privately owned. A private Mistry transported the labourers, not a government organisation/BRTF. The private mistry, who had asked the labourers to do so, has been taken to the police station for questioning. Since all the labourers were from Tinsukia, Assam, the DC of Tinsukia has been contacted. Circle officer Chaglagam has been appointed to liaise with them. A lone survivor has been evacuated to Medical College, Tinsukia and admitted for further treatment. The relatives of the labourers have been informed of the accident by the SP, Tinsukia. All the activities are monitored by CO Chaglagam, DDMo Anjaw and DC himself,' Millo Kojin said. (ANI)