Twenty-one people from Assam are feared dead in Arunachal Pradesh bordering China after a truck carrying 22 workers fell off a cliff in Anjaw district. Till the filing of this report, 14 dead bodies were recovered. The Indian Army, NDRF, SDRF, GREF and district administration have launched a search and rescue operation.

Initial reports said the accident occurred on Monday but was discovered only on Wednesday night after a survivor managed to reach authorities. The accident took place in Chaglagam in Arunachal Pradesh’s Anjaw district, and the workers travelling in the vehicle were from Assam’s Tinsukia district.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed that 14 people have died in the accident and that others remain unaccounted for.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the loss of lives due to a mishap in the Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh. He hoped for the speedy recovery of those injured. The Prime Minister also announced an ex-gratia of two lakh rupees from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given 50 thousand rupees.