SEPPA, ARUNACHAL PRADESH — A tragic road accident along National Highway-13 claimed the lives of five young businessmen on Saturday morning, June 13, 2026 after their Mahindra Bolero pickup truck lost control and plunged into a deep gorge. The fatal incident occurred near the Pagaso Stream, close to Tatatara village under the Seppa Circle in the East Kameng district.

The victims, all hailing from Bhorolua village under the Nowboicha Revenue Circle in Assam's Lakhimpur district, were returning home after attending the bustling Friday Market at Rilloh.

According to local police, the tragedy is believed to have occurred during the late evening hours of Friday as the group drove through difficult, mountainous terrain. However, due to the remote location and the steepness of the ravine, the wreckage wasn't discovered until a passing motorist spotted it the following morning.

Authorities received a distress call at approximately 8:15 AM on Saturday, prompting an immediate mobilization of local police personnel, emergency responders, and nearby villagers to the crash site. Slippery road conditions caused by recent rainfall are heavily suspected to have caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle on a sharp bend, causing it to careen directly off the highway.

"Four occupants were found dead at the scene due to the impact of the fall," a senior police official stated. "A fifth occupant, who had initially survived the plunge with grievous, life-threatening injuries, was carefully pulled from the mangled wreckage and rushed to the Seppa District Hospital. Tragically, despite the best efforts of the medical team, he succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival."

The news of the accident has cast a deep pall of gloom over their hometown in Lakhimpur, where the victims were well-known and active members of the local trading community.

A formal case has been registered by the Seppa Circle Police, and an active investigation is underway to determine the exact technical or environmental circumstances that led to the crash.

The disaster has once again brought the severe challenges of monsoon-season motoring in the Northeast to the forefront. Local administrations have renewed warnings for drivers to exercise extreme caution, minimize nighttime travel, and significantly reduce speeds when navigating the narrow lanes, steep drop-offs, and unpredictable, rain-hit roads of Arunachal Pradesh.