Three Killed in Arunachal as Heavy Rains Trigger Landslide, Flood-like Situation

A 30-year-old woman and her two children were buried alive after a massive landslide, triggered by incessant rains, hit their house in Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh, police said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred on Monday evening in the remote Arzoo subdivision of the district when a hillock caved in on the house, Dibang Valley's Superintendent of Police S Singpho said.

Anini's MLA Mopi Mihu said the woman, identified as Lini Umbrey, was his cousin and she lived with her seven-year-old son and three-year-old daughter in that house, while her husband lived at a different place in the district as he was working as the public relations officer of a construction company.

"Immediately after getting the news of the landslide, the officials of the district administration and police swung into action to rescue them with the help of excavators. However, the bodies could be retrieved only around 11 am Tuesday," Mihu said.

SP Singpho said the area is remote with no telephone connectivity and the road from Anini, the district headquarters, was blocked at several places due to landslides making it impossible to send reinforcements.

Conveying condolences to the bereaved family, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said the state and its people are with the victims.

He announced ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each for the next of kins of those killed.

Incessant rain over the past couple of days has thrown life out of gear in the state with landslides and flood-like situation reported from various districts.

The water-level of the Lohit river and its tributaries in the Lohit district is rising rapidly due to the heavy rainfall in the region, officials said.

Water levels of Tezu Nallah, Denning Nallah, Sukha Nallah and Digaru, the tributaries of Lohit, are soaring.

The Lohit was flowing 0.10 meter above the danger level on Monday evening, they said, adding that due to the rising water level, 18 people at 28th Mile Machuwa camp have been shifted to a safer place.

The 15 metre gabion wall near Machuwa camp at Tezu Khola and 113.40 metre wire-crated guide wall near Jhalukbari area has been damaged by the turbulent flood waters of the Lohit, according to the water resources department.

The Lohit district administration has alerted all the settlers of low-lying and vulnerable areas and asked them to remain vigilant, officials said.

Two relief camps have also been identified for shifting people in the event of flood, they said.

Two houses -- one in Thembang village in Dirang circle in West Kameng district and another at Boleng in Siang district -- were completely damaged in the rain-triggered floods.

The Passa Valley Primary school in Pakke Kesang district was also inundated in flood water.

While the road between Bhalukpong in West Kameng district to Seppa in East Kameng district is blocked due to landslides at several places, blockage of road has also been reported in many areas near Kaspi in West Kameng.

In the Lower Subansiri district, large stretches of paddy and fish cultivation was damaged due to the flood.

Lakhs of fingerlings released by the fishery department were washed away in all the villages located near Kyle River in Lower Subansiri district, besides washing out irrigation channels and bunds of a few farmers, officials said.

Assuring all possible support from the state government, Khandu appealed to the people living in the low-lying areas to shift to safer places.

He urged those living in landslide-prone areas to immediately get to safer locations.

The chief minister issued directives to the deputy commissioners concerned and the disaster management department to monitor the situation on a regular basis.