Truck falls into gorge; 4 dead

A Mokokchung-bound truck bearing registration number AS 03 AC-5021 carrying essential commodities from Jorhat, Assam fell into a gorge Monday, around 2:00 am, near Changki village, Mokokchung.

Four of the six occupants in the ill-fated truck were killed in the accident. The truck handyman, who escaped with injuries, is reported to be undergoing medical treatment at Jorhat. The status of the sixth occupant could not be established till the filing of this report as recovery operations continue. The cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained. Police and volunteers from Changki village were engaged in recovering the dead bodies that have all been identified.

The lone survivor of the accident was identified as one Balaji, around 20 years s/o Babul, while the driver of the truck was identified as one Allim Uddin s/o Azizur Ramman. The other deceased include one Sentilemba s/o Nokchensashi of Chungtia village and a resident of Longjongkong (New Camp) running a hotel. The two women were identified as Tara d/o Dil Bahadur, resident of Dimapur and Mon Maya, also d/o Dil Bahadur. Both were sisters-in-law of the deceased Sentilemba.

The third woman in the accident, who is yet to be found, has been identified as Don Maya, wife of Dil Bahadur and mother-in-law of Sentilemba.
According to sources, Sentilemba went to Maraini to pick up his in-laws who were coming from Dimapur to visit him and his wife in Longjongkong.