Itanagar, Jan. 25 (PTI): At least seven persons were killed and four others injured when their vechile skidded off the road and rolled down into a wayside gorge at Mayudia Pass in Lower Dibang Valley district, police said today.
The gorge is rocky and 1,000-meter deep, the police said.
The incident happened yesterday morning when the vehicle was travelling from Tinsukia district in Assam to Mayudia in Arunachal Pradesh, the police said.
Lower Dibang Valley district Deputy Commissioner Mitali Namchoom said the occupants of the vehicle were on their way to Mayudia, 50 kilometers away from Roing, the district headquarters, to witness snowfall.
All the tourists were from Tinsukia district in Assam, Namchoom said.
The Army personnel of Dao division rescued four persons, Namchoom said, adding, they were found hanging in the gorge about 300 meters below the accident site.
So far, only two bodies could be recovered from the spot, Namchoom said, adding, the bodies were sent to the district hospital for post-mortem examinations.
The DC informed that rescue operation was hampered due to heavy rainfall and snowfall last night and only four persons could reach the spot today.
Men and machineries were pressed into action by the district administration to retrieve the bodies but the operation was hampered due to inclement weather, the DC said.
Desali Circle Officer Hage Atho is constantly monitoring the operation along with the district police, the ITBP and the Army, the DC added.
Meanwhile, an emergency meeting was carried out today to discuss and chalk out detailed course of action, following the huge number of tourist inflow, and the increasing number of road accidents occurring at Mayudia.
It was decided that a comprehensive policy will be formulated to regulate the flow of traffic and tourist in the district, the DC said.
An executive order to the effect would be issued shortly, the DC added.
