The accident occurred when the vehicle, carrying 12 passengers from Tawang to Itanagar, suddenly stopped and rolled down into a steep road after hitting a boulder and then fell into the river this morning, West Kameng SP T T Lama said.
"After the accident three passengers were thrown out of the vehicle while the rest including the driver along with the vehicle swept away in high current," Lama said. The three were hospitalised.
Police along with army personnel have launched rescue operation since morning, but so far none could be traced, the SP said.
A 30-member NDRF team from nearby Assam had also joined the rescue operation.
"The current of the river is non-negotiable and the rescue team are facing problem in carrying out the operation," he said.
Meanwhile, a red alert has been sounded in the downstream villages to assist the police in rescue operation.
