Arunachal: 5 killed, 2 missing due to flood, landslides

Itanagar: Five persons lost their lives due to landslides and flood while two others are reportedly missing as incessant rain continued to batter Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday.

Officials said a 36-year-old woman, identified as Sangio Yapa, was buried alive while three others, including a two-year-old child, sustained injuries after their house at Takar Colony in Naharlagun was hit by a landslide on Tuesday morning.

Four persons were swept away due to heavy floods in Huto Village of Papum Pare district, while five others were rescued by locals.

The NDRF and SDRF, which launched a search and rescue operation, later managed to retrieve a dead body and also rescue one person alive.

All the rescued individuals who sustained injuries have been referred to Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences for further treatment, officials said, while adding that search and rescue operations are still being carried out by the NDRF and SDRF.

Officials further stated that as many as 10 people came under a landslide at Kokila Village under Balijan circle of the district. While a woman died on the spot, the rest managed to miraculously escape the scene.

A laborer working at the Water Treatment Plant in Hollongi was also buried alive in a landslide on Tuesday.

In West Siang district, a labourer of a construction site under Trans Arunachal Highway was buried alive near Darla village in a landslide.

The deceased has been identified as Tilu Kalandi, a native of Laluk in Assam’s Lakhimpur district.

The 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 the spillage of Simang River.

Heavy rainfall has also disrupted road connectivity and other infrastructure in many districts.

Currently, the Chimpu-Hollongi road in Papum Pare, Pangin-Boleng and Boleng-Rumgong road in Siang and West Siang, Balemu-Bomdila road in West Kameng and Margherita-Changlang road in Changlang district and several link roads in the ICR and other districts are blocked due to landslides.

Torrential rain has also caused damage to agriculture and horticulture crops, agricultural land, water supply, destroyed electric towers and has crippled normal life in many districts.

A total of 20 households have been damaged due to landslides across the state while more than 7100 people have been affected due to floods in 52 villages.

The Capital district administration has meanwhile directed the closure of all schools and colleges in the ICR region for three days from June 29 in view of the continuous downpour.

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