Arunachal accident victims cremated in Assam's Tinsukia

The bodies of all victims who died in a road accident in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh have been cremated in Assam's Tinsukia district, officials said on Monday.

While the bodies of six victims arrived on Saturday, the remaining 14 reached the district the following evening, with the cremation taking place late on Sunday night, Tinsukia District Commissioner Swapnanil Paul said.

Cabinet minister Bimal Borah and Tinsukia BJP MLA Sanjay Kishan and officials of the district administration were present on the occasion.

The lone survivor of the mishap, Budheswar Deep (23), is currently undergoing treatment at the Assam Medical College Hospital in Dibrugarh.

His condition was improving and stable, according to doctors attending to him.

The accident took place on Hayuliang-Chaglagam Road in Arunachal Pradesh's Anjaw district on December 8 when the truck carrying 21 labourers fell into the gorge.

Deep survived the accident and somehow managed to reach the nearest Chipra GREF Camp, following which police were alerted and rescue operations began.

Two contractors, who had hired the workers for construction work, have been arrested by police and investigations are on, Paul said.

The duo have been identified as Sirajul Ahmed and Sairuddin Ali.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who died from the PM National Relief Fund while Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)