Arunachal flash flood: Five Army Personnel Missing, Four Killed in Separate Disasters
A cloudburst-triggered flash flood swept away two shelters at an Army camp in Dibang Valley, while a separate landslide buried workers at a road construction site in Upper Subansiri.
ITANAGAR- Arunachal Pradesh witnessed two major rain-related disasters on Friday evening, with a flash flood in Dibang Valley leaving five Army personnel missing and a separate landslide in Upper Subansiri claiming four lives. Search, rescue and recovery operations are continuing at both locations amid difficult weather and terrain conditions.
In Dibang Valley district, a cloudburst in the Pashu Pani area of Anini triggered a massive flash flood and landslide that swept away two shelters at the 5th Grenadier’s Pasu Pani Army camp on Friday evening.
According to officials cited in the reports, seven Army personnel were swept away in the sudden flooding. Two were subsequently rescued, while five remain missing.
Immediate rescue operations were launched after the incident. Search teams from the 5th Grenadier were deployed, while personnel from the 58th Battalion of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), 62 RCC of the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF), Arunachal Pradesh Police and local volunteers joined the operation.
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An SDRF team from Pasighat was also reported to be proceeding towards Anini to reinforce the search and rescue effort. Army aviation assets have been deployed to augment the operation and facilitate medical evacuation where required.
The rescue effort has been complicated by inclement weather, heavy inundation and difficult terrain, according to the information available. Authorities are continuing the search on priority, with further details expected as the situation is verified and operations progress.
In a separate incident in Upper Subansiri district, a major landslide struck the Keojaring–Byaching road cutting/construction site, burying several workers beneath debris.
Four people have been reported dead: Tadu Baki, Taji Rai, Markosh Basumatari and Babul Ali. The body of Babul Ali has been recovered, while search and recovery operations for the remaining victims are continuing.
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Personnel from Nacho Police Station have been deployed at the site. Fire and Emergency Services teams are being mobilised from Daporijo, while an SDRF team is expected to assist in the recovery operation.
The incident occurred amid heavy rainfall in the district, with authorities working to clear debris and determine the full extent of the casualties.
Although the two incidents occurred at separate locations, both were linked to heavy rainfall and unstable terrain, highlighting the vulnerability of Arunachal Pradesh’s mountainous districts to sudden weather-related disasters.
The Dibang Valley incident involves an ongoing search for five missing Army personnel, while the Upper Subansiri operation has shifted primarily towards recovery and identification of victims following reports of four deaths.
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The response in both locations involves multiple agencies, including the Army, ITBP, GREF, police, SDRF, Fire and Emergency Services and local volunteers. Their coordination is particularly significant given the remoteness of the affected areas and the challenging weather conditions.
The immediate priority for authorities remains locating the five missing Army personnel in Dibang Valley and recovering those trapped in the Upper Subansiri landslide.
The incidents also underscore the importance of rapid communication and inter-agency coordination in Arunachal Pradesh, where mountainous terrain, road-cutting activity and intense rainfall can make access to disaster sites difficult.
Authorities continue to monitor developments in both districts, while search and rescue teams remain deployed at the affected sites.
As of the latest reports available on August 15, five Army personnel remain missing in Dibang Valley and four people have been reported dead in the Upper Subansiri landslide. Rescue and recovery operations are ongoing.
