Anjaw, Arunachal: The remote Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh, near the India-China border, is the site of a devastating truck accident that has claimed at least 19 lives, with the final death toll feared to be higher. The tragedy, which occurred on the night of December 8, 2025, involving a mini-truck carrying 22 labourers from Assam, remained undiscovered for nearly two full days due to the extreme remoteness and lack of connectivity in the high-altitude terrain.
The Accident and Delayed Discovery
The victims were construction workers, mostly from the Gilapukhuri Tea Estate in Tinsukia district, Assam, heading to Chaglagam for a work project. Preliminary investigations suggest the truck skidded off the treacherous Hayuliang–Chaglagam road near KM 40 and plunged approximately 200 metres (650 feet) into a deep gorge.
The critical communication gap—the complete absence of mobile connectivity—prevented the crash from being reported immediately. The sheer scale of the disaster was only revealed late on Wednesday, December 10, through the heroic effort of a lone survivor.
The Lone Survivor: A 48-Hour Ordeal
A 23-year-old labourer, identified as Budheswor Deep, who miraculously survived the fall with head and facial injuries, managed to climb the nearly 200-metre steep ravine. He then walked for an estimated four kilometres through the difficult terrain to reach the nearest human outpost—a General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) camp at Chipra.
His exhausted statement provided the first and only firsthand account of the accident, allowing the authorities to finally pinpoint the crash site. The survivor has since been shifted to Assam Medical College and Hospital in Dibrugarh for specialized treatment.
Major Search and Retrieval Operation
Following the alert, a massive, multi-agency search and rescue operation was launched by the Indian Army’s Spear Corps, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and the local administration.
- Death Toll Update: As of December 12, officials have confirmed the retrieval of at least 19 bodies, though this number varies slightly across sources. Authorities fear the count may rise, as two to three people are still reported missing.
- Challenges: The wreckage is described as mangled, upside down, and hidden by dense tree cover, making it invisible from the road or helicopters. Rescue teams are using belay ropes to descend into the steep gorge to retrieve the bodies.
- Investigation: The Anjaw administration is questioning the subcontractor who hired the workers to verify the exact number of people on board and to investigate any potential safety lapses.
Official Response and Relief
Both the Central and State governments have expressed profound grief over the tragedy.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from the PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured.
- Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has confirmed coordination between the Assam and Arunachal Pradesh district administrations to ensure assistance to the victims’ families.
The incident has tragically highlighted the perilous conditions and safety concerns for migrant workers travelling on poorly connected, treacherous mountain roads in the Northeast, underscoring the urgent need for infrastructure and communication improvements along border highways like the Hayuliang–Chaglagam Road.
