Arunachal: Bihar Tourist Uma Shankar Falls into Gorge at Pongging Viewpoint
Shankar, working as a Contractual Assistant Manager at India Post Payment Bank in Dhemaji, Assam, had arrived with three friends........
PASIGHAT ( By Maksam Tayeng )- In a tragic incident, a 32-year-old man from Bihar’s Gaya district, identified as Uma Shankar, slipped and fell into the deep gorge at the Siang-Yamne river confluence near the popular Pongging Viewpoint in East Siang district this afternoon.
Shankar, working as a Contractual Assistant Manager at India Post Payment Bank in Dhemaji, Assam, had arrived with three friends — Kushantadip Baruah from Assam, Anup Kumar from Bihar’s West Champaran, and Subodh Kumar from Muzaffarpur, Bihar — after securing a tourist permit from the Ruksin gate.
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According to his friend Anup Kumar, Shankar had moved towards the cliff edge to view the river confluence when he accidentally slipped. “We were just parking the car when suddenly we were told by other visitors that he had fallen off the cliff,” Anup said in shock.
Local police teams from Mebo and Pasighat, led by OCs Akai Chama and Atan Taki, along with a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team under Incharge Tokrik Borang, rushed to the spot. Despite climbing halfway down the gorge using ropes, the rescuers could not locate Shankar before nightfall. Drone surveillance also failed to trace him due to darkness.
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Villagers passing through the hanging bridge over the Yamne river reported seeing a “man-like object” stuck among trees on the slope, raising hopes that Shankar may not have fallen directly into the river.
SP East Siang Pankaj Lamba, who is monitoring the situation, confirmed that the rescue operation will resume early tomorrow morning. “We are hopeful and the team will continue the search at first light,” he said.
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Meanwhile, Shankar’s friends have appealed to the local community for assistance, recalling a similar accident in August 2021 when a 22-year-old boy from Jonai, Assam, had tragically fallen at the same spot.
Authorities and villagers remain hopeful that Shankar, if stuck in the bushes and trees, could still be rescued alive.
