Arunachal: Body of missing tourist recovered after three-day search at Pongging viewpoint

After three days of continuous search operations, rescue teams on the evening of October 4 recovered the body of a 32-year-old man from Bihar who had fallen into a deep gorge near the Pongging tourist viewpoint in Arunachal Pradesh.

 

The deceased, identified as Uma Shankar from Gaya district, was found dead after slipping into the gorge that descends toward the Siang–Yamne River confluence. His body was located on October 3, lodged on a tree branch about 30–40 metres above the riverbank and nearly 170 metres from the viewpoint.

 

Initial attempts by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local police to retrieve the body on Thursday and Friday were unsuccessful due to darkness, difficult terrain, and lack of proper equipment. On Saturday, with the support of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team from the 12th Battalion in Itanagar, the body was finally lifted to the surface at around 6:21 pm.

 

Mebo Police Station Officer-in-Charge Akai Chama said the joint rescue operation faced major hurdles caused by continuous rain, fog, and slippery rocks. He urged tourists to exercise extreme caution while visiting the Pongging viewpoint, describing it as a high-risk area.

 

East Siang Superintendent of Police Pankaj Lamba, who supervised the recovery, confirmed that the body will undergo postmortem examination before being handed over to the victim’s family.

 

Uma Shankar, a contractual assistant manager with India Post Payments Bank at Dhemaji Post Office in Assam, had been visiting the popular tourist spot with three friends when the accident occurred.

 

Local residents and community leaders, including public figure Mongol Yomso, have once again urged the authorities of East Siang and Upper Siang districts to install safety fencing around the Pongging viewpoint to prevent further accidents.