Arunachal landslide and flash flood leave four dead, five Army missing
In Arunachal Pradesh's Dibang Valley and Upper Subansiri districts, a landslide at a road site killed four people, while a flash flood swept away two Army shelters leaving five personnel missing. Search and rescue teams from multiple agencies are deployed to locate the missing personnel.
Key takeaways
- A landslide at a road construction site in Upper Subansiri district killed four people.
- A flash flood at a military camp in Dibang Valley left five Army personnel missing; two were rescued.
- Search and rescue teams from multiple agencies are active across both districts.
What Happened
In Arunachal Pradesh, two separate incidents occurred on Friday evening. A major landslide struck a road construction site at Keojaring-Byaching in Upper Subansiri district, burying several people. Four individuals—Tadu Baki, Taji Rai, Markosh Basumatari and Babul Ali—were reported dead, and Babul Ali's body had been recovered. Search and rescue teams from Nacho Police Station, Fire and Emergency Services from Daporijo, and a State Disaster Response Force unit were mobilised for the operation.
Simultaneously, a heavy rain-triggered flash flood swept away two shelters at the 5th Grenadier’s Pasu Pani Army camp in Dibang Valley district. Seven Army personnel were carried away; two were rescued, while five remained missing. The missing personnel were identified as Havaldar Upendar and Army personnel Kundan, Vinod, Aditya and Samunda. Rescue teams from ITBP, the General Reserve Engineer Force, Arunachal Pradesh Police and local volunteers, along with an SDRF team from Pasighat, were deployed to search for the missing soldiers.
Why It Matters
The incidents highlight hazards from extreme weather in border-state Arunachal Pradesh, with both civilian and military facilities affected. The response involved multiple agencies and demonstrates coordinating search and rescue across districts to locate personnel.
Background
These events followed a period of heavy rainfall that can trigger flash floods and landslides in hilly terrain. The region’s disaster management bodies and police are coordinating deployments to affected sites, including road construction locations and military camps, as part of ongoing emergency response efforts.
Key Facts
- Location of landslide: Keojaring-Byaching road construction site, Upper Subansiri district, Arunachal Pradesh.
- Reported dead in landslide: four people named Tadu Baki, Taji Rai, Markosh Basumatari and Babul Ali.
- Recovered body: Babul Ali.
- Location of flash flood: 5th Grenadier’s Pasu Pani Army camp, Dibang Valley district.
- Army personnel missing: five; two rescued, five missing (Havaldar Upendar, Kundan, Vinod, Aditya, Samunda).
- Search and rescue deployments: Nacho Police Station; Fire and Emergency Services (Daporijo); SDRF (Pasighat); ITBP 58th Battalion; 62 RCC; Arunachal Pradesh Police; local volunteers; SDRF from Pasighat.
- Timeline: incidents occurred on Friday evening; reporting and confirmations continued into Saturday as rescue operations progressed.
What Happens Next
Authorities are conducting ongoing search and rescue operations to locate the five missing Army personnel. Further updates are expected from district disaster management officials and the rescue teams as operations continue and information becomes available from the field.
Sources reviewed
Project Chintan independently synthesized and analyzed information cross-checked across the sources listed above.
