Seven of the 19 construction workers from Assam who had gone missing last week in Arunachal Pradesh’s Kurung Kumey district have been rescued and an Indian Air Force chopper has been engaged in the search and rescue operations for the remaining, police said on Saturday.

According to Arunachal Pradesh police, these construction labourers had been missing since July 13 from near the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh’s Kurung Kumey district. “Seven labourers have been rescued so far and medical assistance has been provided to them,” Abhimanyu Poswal, Superintendent of Police (SP), Kurung Kumey district told ANI.

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“They have been kept in a location for providing medical assistance and other needs. The district administration has also been deployed for sending necessary help and has sent medical teams,” Poswal said.

He further said that an IAF chopper has been deployed in the search and rescue operations.

According to the district administration, 19 out of 30 labourers, who were involved in the Border road works at the Damin area of Arunachal Pradesh, had fled the worksite camp on July 5.

Nighee Bengia, Deputy Commissioner of Kurung Kumey district said, “19 labourers were brought from Assam by sub-contractors of Bengia Bado, a contractor of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), who had filed a missing report for them at the Koloriang police station on July 13.”

“Seven out of 19 missing labourers have been recovered while one is yet to be rescued and 11 are still missing. They are very weak and their statement could not be recorded. They are being given medicines and food to recover from weakness. IAF chopper landed in Damin and are conducting search operation and the rescue work,” Bengia said.

The SP of Kurung Kumey district also said that the search and rescue operations were still on to trace the remaining missing labourers.

State BJP MP Tapir Gao on July 19 said that the government was taking up the labourer missing case seriously and will be solving the matter soon.

As per the information, one labourer had died (whose body was found in Furak river under Damin circle on Monday). The Damin circle area is located along the India-China border.

Damin is about 130 km from Koloriang and the construction site is another 15 km from Damin. The LAC with China is about 80 km from Damin, the last administrative circle in that area, officials said.

Further details are awaited.