Landslides disrupt communication in Arunachal Pradesh

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Incessant rainfall in the past several days have triggered landslides and flood in several districts of Arunachal Pradesh, disrupting surface communication. On the other hand, one person was killed and three others were missing since June 18, officials said on Monday.

The administration is working hard to restore road connectivity in all the affected districts.

A 16-year-old boy was killed in a massive landslide at Yupia in the Papum Pare district on Sunday. The boy, identified as Rage Hilli, was riding a motorcycle when he got buried under the debris. His body was later retrieved from there.

According to a report from the West Kameng district, three employees of a hotel went missing when a massive landslide swept away the building.

The incident occurred on the intervening night of June 18 and 19 near Angkaling village under the Kalaktang sub-division, District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO) Mindu Yangzom said.

The bodies of the missing persons are yet to be found. Search operations are on, the DDMO said.

Earlier, three people died in the Kurung Kumey district on April 19 due to landslides, while another five were killed in landslips in the State capital Itanagar on May 16.

The continuous downpour has disrupted road connectivity in many districts of the State.

The Margherita-Changlang road in the Changlang district, Hoj-Potin road in Papum Pare, Balemu-Bomdila road in West Kameng and the Trans Arunachal Highway in Upper Subansiri, Kurung Kumey and many other districts are blocked due to the landslides.

The disaster management department has issued directives to all Deputy Commissioners to remain alert to respond to any eventuality. The department is also in constant touch with agencies like IMD and CWC for early warnings.

Relief centres have been set up in all districts to shelter the affected people.

The Capital district administration has served evacuation and shifting orders to 279 houses found vulnerable to flood and landslides, an official said.

According to a report from the state disaster management department, landslides and floods have damaged 524 houses in 87 villages of the State since April this year, affecting a total of 11,000 people.

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