Severe rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh triggered two separate monsoon disasters on Friday evening, causing loss of life and leaving several military personnel untraceable across two districts. In Upper Subansiri district, a massive landslide struck a road construction site, killing four workers. Meanwhile, in Dibang Valley district, a sudden flash flood overwhelmed an Army camp, washing away living shelters and leaving five soldiers missing after two others were safely pulled from the torrent.
Tragic Landslide Strikes Upper Subansiri Road Cutting Site
Torrential rains over Friday evening destabilized the hill terrain along the Keojaring-Byaching road cutting site in Upper Subansiri district. The resulting landslide swept down onto the construction area, burying multiple individuals underneath thick mud and boulders. Official confirmations indicate that four individuals lost their lives in the disaster.
The deceased have been identified as Tadu Baki, Taji Rai, Markosh Basumatari, and Babul Ali. Disaster management authorities from the district confirmed that emergency responders have recovered the body of Babul Ali from the site. Local authorities immediately dispatched search and recovery personnel from the Nacho Police Station to manage the immediate situation. To assist in clearing debris and retrieving the remaining victims, Fire and Emergency Services teams were mobilized from Daporijo, while a specialized unit from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) was assigned to reinforce the rescue efforts.
Flash Flood Sweeps Through Pasu Pani Army Camp
The heavy rainfall also caused severe flooding in Dibang Valley district on Friday evening. At the Pasu Pani Army Camp, torrential waters created a sudden flash flood that raged through the area, washing away two temporary shelters belonging to the 5th Grenadier unit stationed there. During the deluge, seven Army personnel were swept into the overflowing waters.
Rescue teams positioned nearby managed to extract two of the soldiers from the rapid currents. However, five personnel remain missing. Official accounts identify the untraceable soldiers as Havaldar Upendar, along with Army personnel Kundan, Vinod, Aditya, and Samunda. Ground operations continue intensively as search teams navigate difficult weather conditions to locate the missing military members.
Joint Search Operations Launched Across Affected Zones
According to updates from the State Emergency Operations Centre, both fatal events were directly triggered by intense rainfall across the region on Friday evening. In response to the crisis in Dibang Valley, the 5th Grenadier immediately deployed two dedicated search and rescue teams directly at the Pasu Pani camp site.
To maximize search coverage across the flood-affected terrain, a joint operation was established involving multiple agencies. Personnel from the 58th Battalion of the ITBP, the 62 RCC of the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF), Arunachal Pradesh Police, and brave local volunteers have joined forces in the search. Additionally, an SDRF team originating from Pasighat is en route to Anini to bolster the extensive ground effort across the Dibang Valley district.
