Massive flood, landslide wreak havoc in Arunachal Pradesh; two minors, one army jawan reported missing

Inclement weather accompanied by tumultuous floods and landslides have wreaked havoc in Arunachal Pradesh. The bodies of the two minors who drowned in the Hollongi river could not be traced on the third day of the search operation being carried out by the State Disaster Response Force and the National Disaster Response Force.

The children, identified as Hilang Taluk (4yrs) and Hilang Mark (6 months), drowned in the Hollongi river when the river was heavily flooded on 28 June. Their parents, Hilang Yakab (mother) and Hilang Rade (father), were also injured in the incident.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu has appealed to the people of the state to take maximum precautions considering the heavy rainfall being witnessed across the state. “Monsoon has caused massive destruction in the state. I urge people to heed the warning issued by disaster management authorities. People should take precautions,” said Khandu. He said the government will extend all possible help to the districts for damage caused to the infrastructure.

“I assure people that roads will be restored after the rain subsides,” he said.

He also said though the construction of Hollongi airport has been hit hard by the heavy rainfall, the state government is committed to start air service by this year.

Papum Pare district witnessed four deaths while West Siang district one. One small girl injured with brokern femur bone and one army personal got missing slipping down the stream in lower Subansiri district. 

Nature’s fury leaving trail of damages across the districts of Arunachal Pradesh . Four persons have been washed away in flood water in Huto village of Balijan circle under Papum Pare district due to severe flood that affected the whole area triggered by tempestuous rainfall. Out of the four missing persons, one person was rescued alive with the joint effort of NDRF and SDRF.  The dead body of one of them was retrieved by the search team while two others are still missing.  Meanwhile the District disaster management authority of Papum Pare district had shifted flood affected persons to temporary relief camps.

In an another incident, a woman namely Sangio Yapa  died in a landslide occurred at Takar Colony of Naharlagun burying 4 persons in a kutcha temporary wooden bamboo house.  3 persons of her family including one child got rescued from the debris by the relatives residing nearby.

In West Siang District, a labourer of construction site under Trans Arunachal Highway identified as Tilu Kalandi, male of Laluk, Lakhimpur District, Assam was buried alive near Darla village in a landslide while in Papumpare a labourer in Hollongi Water Treatment Plant and a lady in Kokila village near Airport were buried alive. The dead bodies of three deceased were retrieved from the incident site.

Meanwhile, Siang District disaster management authority rescued 6 laborers stranded due to flood water whose camps located at 1448 Dett BCC, Boleng were washed away due spillage of Simang River. The victims were provided with immediate relief by the DDMA.

The heavy rainfall has also disrupted road connectivity and other infrastructure in many districts. Currently, Chimpu-Hollongi roads, Pangin-Boleng, Boleng-Rumgong, Balemu-Bomdila, Margherita-Changlang road, Anjaw district and link roads in Itanagar capital region and few other districts are blocked due to landslide. 

Continuous torrential rain has also caused damages to Agriculture and Horticulture crops, agricultural land, water supply, destroyed electric towers and have crippled normalcy in many districts. In total 20 households have been damaged due to landslide and flood affecting a population of 7150 in 52 villages.

The department of Disaster management has instructed all the officers and officials to generate wide awareness among the people to stay alert and take necessary precaution especially when there is heavy rainfall.

One small six year old girl left with fractures femur bone after the wall of school wall of bornhill middle school,the girl child parents belong to poor family and taking treatment in a private heema hospital of Itanagar. 

The Itanagar Capital Region district administration issued an order on Thursday, stating that the closure of the road from the garbage dumping area to the Hollongi check gate has been extended till 1 July.