Flash Floods in Arunachal Pradesh Claim Lives and Displace Residents
Tragic Impact of Flash Floods in Keyi Panyor District
The flash flood devastated the NEEPCO Colony at Poosa, damaging houses, disrupting road connectivity and triggering landslides at several locations.
Itanagar, June 27: The death toll from the flash floods caused by heavy rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh's Keyi Panyor district has risen to two, following the recovery of another woman's body from the debris in the NEEPCO Colony, as reported by officials.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall across various regions of the state starting Sunday.
The deceased has been identified as 30-year-old Ballari Marak, also known as Olyn Synkly, from Meghalaya's Ri-Bhoi district, according to Keyi Panyor District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO) Beru Dulam.
Marak was among five individuals reported missing after a flash flood, triggered by a cloudburst and continuous rainfall, hit the district on Wednesday morning.
With this latest recovery, the confirmed death toll stands at two, while three individuals are still unaccounted for. The body of a 35-year-old woman was discovered on Wednesday.
Search efforts have now entered their fourth day, with rescue teams conducting raft operations from the dam side of the Panyor Lower Hydroelectric Project to locate the missing individuals swept away from the NEEPCO Colony.
State Disaster Management Secretary Dani Sulu stated that the operation is a collaborative effort involving personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police, and community volunteers.
To enhance the rescue operation, helicopters from the Indian Air Force and state Civil Aviation have been deployed to transport additional SDRF personnel and rescue equipment to the affected areas.
The flash floods have severely impacted the NEEPCO Colony at Poosa, resulting in significant damage to homes, disruption of road access, and landslides in multiple locations.
Initial assessments indicate that approximately 30 houses were either completely destroyed or washed away in the NEEPCO Colony, with an additional 10 homes destroyed and 14 partially damaged in the Possa and Pitapool regions. In total, 128 households have been affected in the district. A relief camp has been established on the NEEPCO campus, currently sheltering 60 displaced individuals.
Meanwhile, efforts to restore road connectivity are underway in Keyi Panyor and Papum Pare districts. The Potin-Kimin road has been reopened for light vehicles, and the Hoj-Sagalee stretch has also been restored, according to officials.
The route from Yachuli to Itanagar, including Pistana, Ambam, Selsango, Parang, and Sagalee, has been opened for light vehicular traffic as well.
The IMD has forecasted heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, along with thunderstorms and lightning, in several districts starting Sunday.
A 'red' warning (take action) has been issued for parts of Lower Siang, West Siang, and East Siang districts, while an 'orange' alert (be prepared) has been announced for several neighboring districts.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall is anticipated to persist over parts of central and eastern Arunachal on Monday, with an 'orange' warning in effect for Lower Dibang Valley and surrounding areas.
Although the intensity of rainfall is expected to decrease from Tuesday, isolated heavy rain and thunderstorms may continue across various districts before conditions improve further on Wednesday and Thursday.