ITANAGAR, Jun 10: Three persons, including two women, lost their lives and two others sustained serious injuries after the vehicle they were traveling in plunged into a deep gorge following a suspected landslide on the Migging–Tuting Road in Upper Siang district on Wednesday morning.
According to official reports, the accident occurred at around 7:30 am, approximately 3 km from Migging towards Tuting. A Tata Nexon carrying five occupants reportedly skidded off the road after being affected by a landslide and plunged nearly 200 metres down a steep slope.
The deceased were identified as Ottu Nitik, his wife Bami Nitik, and Olek Tali. Two other persons, Jesek Jongkey and Ponung Nitik, sustained serious injuries. However, due to road blockades in the area, they could not be immediately evacuated to the District Hospital at Yingkiong for treatment.
Rescue and recovery operations were launched immediately under the supervision of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Tuting, Pandov Perme, and the Circle Officer of Migging. A joint team comprising personnel from the Indian Army, ITBP and local administration successfully retrieved the bodies of the deceased from the accident site.
The operation involved troops from the Indian Army's 5 DOGRA, 117 Engineer Regiment, 18 Sikh, 11 Sikh, 1811 Medium Regiment and 17 Mahar Regiment, along with personnel of the 61 Battalion ITBP and local authorities.
ADC Pandov Perme informed that the rescue operation was successfully concluded and the mortal remains were handed over to the families for the last rites.
District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO) Anie Yangfo stated that, following official verification and as per State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms, an ex-gratia assistance of Rs 4 lakh each will be provided to the next of kin of the deceased. Financial assistance for the treatment of the injured will also be extended as per admissible norms.
In a statement, the Indian Army said Quick Reaction Teams from Migging and Tuting, equipped with rescue, medical and mountaineering gear, responded immediately and undertook a challenging operation through dense forests and hazardous terrain.
After more than nine hours of relentless effort, troops led by Subedar Major and Honorary Lieutenant Md Nasir Hussain successfully recovered two bodies and transported them to the road head before handing them over to civil authorities. Another rescue team led by Subedar Arjun Singh of 5 DOGRA continued search operations in the slushy and difficult terrain.
The Army said the operation highlighted its commitment to humanitarian assistance and its capability to conduct rescue missions in some of the most challenging terrains of Arunachal Pradesh.