The death toll from the flash floods triggered by incessant rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh’s Keyi Panyor district has risen to three after the body of a missing man was recovered on Sunday. State Disaster Management Secretary Dani Sulu said the body of Saurabh Kumar Kharwar was found near Hawa Camp in neighbouring Papum Pare district, around 35 km from the flood-hit Poosa area. A rescue team has been dispatched to retrieve the body.
According to news agency PTI, five people had gone missing after flash floods, caused by continuous heavy rainfall, struck Keyi Panyor district on Wednesday morning. Search operations are still underway to trace the remaining missing persons.
With the latest recovery, three people have been confirmed dead, while two others remain missing. The body of a 35-year-old woman was recovered on Wednesday, while another woman’s body was found on Saturday.
Rescue Operation On
Search operations have entered the fifth day on Sunday, with a rescue team launching raft operations from the dam side of the Panyor Lower Hydroelectric Project and another ground team searching for the two missing persons.
An additional 23 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) left for Keyi Panyor district on Sunday to strengthen the ongoing search and rescue operations.
Additionally, the Indian Red Cross Society, Arunachal Pradesh State Branch, is also sending relief materials to the flood-hit area. The supplies are scheduled to be airlifted from Naharlagun helipad to Possa via Ziro by an MI-17 civil aviation helicopter, subject to favourable weather conditions.
Civil Aviation authorities said one sortie has been kept on standby to transport relief materials from Naharlagun to Ziro, but the flight will operate only after receiving weather clearance.
The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) said it is yet to complete an assessment of the damage caused to its hydropower infrastructure and power generation facilities. The flash flood devastated the NEEPCO Colony at Poosa, damaging houses, disrupting road connectivity and triggering landslides at several locations.
Flash Flood Struck Ledum In East Siang
It has been reported that flash flood struck Ledum in East Siang district on Sunday morning, damaging infrastructure and property. In Leparada district, Kidi River was flowing above the danger level at Basar, threatening a vital bridge, while Chisi village under Dari circle was among the worst-affected areas and another key bridge was under threat, they said.
As many as nine districts — Keyi Panyor, Papum Pare, Kra Daadi, Kurung Kumey, Lower Subansiri, Kamle, Upper Subansiri, East Siang and Leparada — have been affected by rain-triggered floods and landslides, the officials said.
IMD Predicts More Rinfall
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast the possibility of more than 200 mm of rainfall in parts of the state over the next 24 hours till Monday morning, prompting the state government to issue an alert and urge people to remain vigilant.
The State Disaster Management Department said the IMD has warned of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall across several parts of the state, raising the likelihood of flash floods, landslides and waterlogging in vulnerable areas.
(With agency inputs)