On December 8, a truck carrying 22 labourers from Assam's Tinsukia district fell into a deep gorge in Arunachal Pradesh's Anjaw district. At least 18 people died and three were missing, officials confirmed. The accident happened on the Hayuliang-Chaglagam Road in eastern Arunachal Pradesh. Defence PRO Lt Col Mahender Rawat said the information came from the lone survivor. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge expressed deep sorrow on X (formerly Twitter). "Anguished by the news of the terrible truck accident in Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh, where several labourers from Assam have lost their lives," he wrote. He offered condolences to the victims' families and urged officials to give timely and proper compensation. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi called the news "deeply saddening." He sent his condolences and prayed that missing people be found soon and the injured recover quickly. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also expressed heartbreak and prayed for the departed souls and injured. Arunachal Pradesh Disaster Management Secretary Dani Salu said an NDRF team was about 10 km from Hayuliang and would start body retrieval operations on Friday if weather conditions allow. The site is about 12 km from Chaglagam, with rough terrain and poor connectivity. No local agency reported the accident until the survivor reached a Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) labour camp on December 10, where he got medical aid. The BRTF then informed the district deputy commissioner. Due to dangerous terrain and bad weather at night, rescue teams could not act immediately and requested NDRF help. The accident probably occurred in the evening or night of December 8, roughly 40 km from Hayuliang on the way to Chaglagam.