Arunachal Pradesh Flood: Three die in landslide and flood, two go missing

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Incessant rains in the past couple of days have triggered landslides and flood like situation in Arunachal Pradesh capital and adjoining Papum Pare district. Three persons have died and two others have gone missing.

A 36-year-old woman, identified as Sangio Yapa, died and three others were injured when their house got buried in a landslide at Takar Colony in Naharlagun on Tuesday, District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO) Moromi Sonam informed. The three persons, including a two-year-old child, were rescued by their relatives, Sonam added.

DDMO Nima Tashi informed that four persons reportedly drowned due to heavy flood in the Hollongi River in Huto village in the district on Tuesday, while five others sustained injuries. While a body was retrieved and one person was rescued, the fate of the other two persons is not known. Search and rescue operations by NDRF and SDRF are being carried out. The report by DDMO Nima Tashi further stated that as many as 10 people were buried under landslides at Kokila village under Balijan circle of the district, while one died and nine others miraculously escaped. Landslides and flood-like situation have been reported from various parts of the Capital Complex – comprising Itanagar, Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa areas, causing extensive damage to dwellings, roads and buildings, the DDMO said. The approach road to the under-construction Donyi Polo Greenfield Airport at Hollongi was submerged by flood water, while several low-lying areas in the state capital were also flooded. Most of the rivers, rivulets and streams in the state capital are in high spate, threatening human settlements and vital roads in the capital. Four houses were also badly damaged at Kokila village while another two at Huto village under Hollongi, the report said.

As a preventive measure, the Papum Pare district administration has cautioned the people to avoid residing in vulnerable areas and to move in safer places or designated relief camps during heavy rainfall. The Capital district administration, in view of the continuous rain and extensive damage, has directed to close all schools in the state capital for three days from June 29 until further order. Further, the administration has closed the Itanagar-Hollongi-Gohpur road for two days from June 19 as several stretches of the road were damaged where restoration work would be carried out. Reports of landslides and flood were also reported from various districts of the state.

With Tuesday's death, landslide and flood related casualties in the state rose to 15 since April this year. A 16-year-old boy was killed in a massive landslide in Papum Pare district on June 19 last while, three employees of a hotel died when a massive landslide swept away the building on June 18, near Angkaling village under Kalaktang subdivision of West Kameng district. Five persons died and several others were injured after two heavy landslides hit Itanagar on May 17 this year. Earlier, three people died in Kurung Kumey district on April 19 due to landslides.

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