Arunachal Floods: Three Dead, IAF Rescues Stranded Residents
Heavy monsoon rains continued to cause widespread disruption across Arunachal Pradesh on Monday, with rescue operations underway in several districts. Floods and landslides have damaged roads, bridges, and houses, claimed three lives, and disrupted connectivity across at least 12 districts.
In Lower Dibang Valley district, four people stranded on an island in the Sisiri River in Dambuk area were rescued by an Indian Air Force helicopter on Monday.
Heavy rainfall severely damaged the Roing-Anini road in Lower Dibang Valley, with flash floods washing away roads and bridges at several locations.
In Anjaw district, an excavator operator is missing after a large rock crushed the vehicle engaged in highway construction near Sarti village towards Walong on Sunday night. Rescue operations were suspended overnight due to poor visibility and risk of further rockfalls, resuming early Monday. Police from Walong Outpost and Hawai Police Station are assisting. The operator's condition has not been officially confirmed.
East Siang district remained on high alert as relentless rain triggered landslides, flash floods, and road washouts, severely affecting connectivity. Of the 11 major roads affected, only two have been reopened. Nine roads, including the Pasighat-Pangin, Pasighat-Mariyang-Yingkiong, and Pasighat-Mebo-Dambuk-Bomjir roads, remain blocked or unsafe. The left-side approach to Letong Bridge on the Pasighat-Runne-Takilalung road has been washed away, while roads near Balek Secondary School, Ranaghat Bridge, and the Poglek River crossing remain impassable, according to an official report.
Floodwaters inundated at least 10 houses in the Ledum area after the river changed course due to continuous rainfall. One house was almost completely submerged, two cattle were swept away, and a community toilet and a rice mill are on the verge of submergence. Three shops were damaged. Around 12 families were moved to safer places, with displaced persons staying at relatives' houses. A community prayer hall has been designated as a relief shelter. No casualties or missing persons have been reported from this area, though a vital bridge collapsed, disrupting connectivity.
In Lower Siang district, a massive landslide at Siji blocked the flow of the Siji River near the Likabali checkpost, causing water to accumulate upstream. A biker had a narrow escape after being swept down a slope along with his motorcycle when the landslide struck. Authorities warned of possible danger to downstream areas and deployed police to alert riverside residents to move to safer locations. Officials later said the river resumed normal flow on Monday morning after ponded water receded.
Search operations entered the sixth day on Monday for two persons still missing in the flash flood that struck Keyi Panyor district last Wednesday. The death toll rose to three after the body of Saurabh Kumar Kharwar was recovered near Hawa Camp in adjoining Papum Pare district on Sunday. Earlier, the bodies of a 35-year-old woman and another woman were recovered on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively. Five people had gone missing after the flash flood devastated the NEEPCO colony at Poosa, damaging houses, roads, and triggering landslides. Preliminary estimates indicate that around 30 houses were completely damaged or washed away in the colony, while another 10 houses were destroyed and 14 partially damaged in the Possa and Pitapool areas. Altogether, 128 households have been affected, with 60 displaced people currently staying at a relief camp on the NEEPCO campus.
