Two labourers tragically lost their lives, and two others sustained injuries when a mudslide buried them at a construction site in Doni Colony, Itanagar.
The victims were residents of Assam’s Dhekiajuli, highlighting the risks faced by migrant workers in Arunachal Pradesh’s hazardous construction sector.
The incident occurred while the workers were digging to construct a retaining wall, intended to prevent future landslides.
The deceased have been identified as Jahan Hemran (45) and Vijay Bag (46), while the injured, Ganesh Oran and Joseph Dopnu, are undergoing treatment at Rama Krishna Mission Hospital.
The rescue operation was led with assistance from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), lasting five hours. A case of unnatural death has been registered at the Itanagar Police Station.
Construction-related fatalities due to mudslides and landslides are not uncommon in Arunachal Pradesh and other Northeast states, where rugged terrain and inadequate safety measures amplify risks.
In August 2023, three labourers were killed in a similar incident in Arunachal’s Lower Subansiri district while working on road construction. Landslides also claimed the lives of two workers near Shillong, Meghalaya, earlier this year during excavation for a residential building.
Experts have attributed such accidents to the lack of proper safety protocols at construction sites and the high vulnerability of the region to landslides, especially during and after the monsoon season. Despite regulations mandating geological assessments and protective measures, compliance remains inconsistent.
These recurring incidents underscore the urgent need for stricter enforcement of safety norms and disaster preparedness in construction projects across the Northeast.
With migrant labourers constituting a significant portion of the workforce in these areas, ensuring their safety is crucial to avoiding future tragedies.