Delhi, Sep 08: The five youth who went missing from a village at the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh last Friday have been traced to China. Responding to the hotline message sent by the Indian Army, China’s People Liberation Army has accepted that five missing Indian youths were on their side of the border, Union minister Kiren Rijiju informed on Twitter.
“China’s PLA has responded to the hotline message sent by the Indian Army. They have confirmed that the missing youths from Arunachal Pradesh have been found by their side. Further modalities to handover the persons to our authority are being worked out,” the minister said.
The five missing villagers hailed from the Nacho area of Upper Subansiri district and were engaged as porters and guides by the Indian army. They were part of a seven-member group, which went for hunting in a jungle. The youths were reported missing by their families through social media last Friday.
Nacho is the last administrative circle along the McMahon Line and is around 120 km from the district headquarters Daporijo.
Two members from the group of youth returned home and informed the families of the other five that they had been whisked away by the Chinese troops from Sera-7, an Army patrol zone located about 12 km further north of Nacho.
Following the report, the Indian Army sent a hotline message to the PLA establishment at the border point in Arunachal Pradesh, Kiren Rijiju had said on Sunday.
The missing have been identified as Toch Singkam, Prasat Ringling, Dongtu Ebiya, Tanu Baker and Ngaru Diri. (Courtesy India Today)
