Reported by Avik Chakraborty
Dibrugarh: Three people lost their lives, and two others sustained serious injuries after a vehicle plunged into a deep gorge on the Migging-Tuting road in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Siang district on Wednesday.
The accident occurred about three kilometres from Migging towards Tuting when a Tata Nexon carrying five occupants reportedly skidded off the road following a landslide and fell nearly 200 metres down a steep slope.
The deceased have been identified as Ottu Nitik, Bami Nitik and Olek Tali. The two injured survivors, Jesek Jongkey and Ponung Nitik, could not be immediately shifted to the District Hospital in Yingkiong due to road blockades caused by adverse weather and landslides, officials said.
Rescue and recovery efforts were launched immediately under the supervision of Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Tuting, Pandov Perme and Circle Officer (CO) of Migging. A joint team comprising personnel from the Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), local administration and other agencies carried out the operation in challenging terrain.
According to officials, the bodies of the three deceased were recovered through a coordinated effort involving troops from 5 DOGRA, 117 Engineer Regiment, 61 Battalion ITBP, 18 Sikh, 11 Sikh, 1811 Medium Regiment and 17 Mahar Regiment, along with local authorities.
Army Quick Reaction Teams from Migging and Tuting, equipped with rescue, medical and mountaineering gear, swiftly reached the accident site and undertook a difficult operation through dense forest, slippery slopes and continuous rainfall.
After more than nine hours of intensive efforts, troops led by Subedar Major and Honorary Lieutenant MD Nasir Hussain successfully recovered two bodies and transported them to the roadhead before handing them over to civil authorities. Another rescue team led by Subedar Arjun Singh of 5 DOGRA continued search operations in the muddy and hazardous terrain.
ADC Pandov Perme said the rescue operation was completed successfully and the mortal remains were handed over to the families for the last rites.
Meanwhile, District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO) Anie Yangfo informed that, following official verification and in accordance with State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms, ex-gratia assistance of Rs4 lakh each will be provided to the next of kin of the deceased. Financial assistance for the treatment of the injured persons will also be extended as per applicable norms.
The district administration, in coordination with the Indian Army, ITBP and other agencies, is closely monitoring the situation and providing all necessary support to the affected families.
The operation highlighted the Indian Army’s commitment to humanitarian assistance and its capability to conduct complex rescue missions in the rugged and remote terrain of Arunachal Pradesh.