The situation in Arunachal Pradesh continued to be grim due to floods and landslide triggered by incessant rainfall even as fresh incidents of landslide occurred in a village near Tawang, washing away over 30 houses and killing two persons instantly.
Union Minister of State for Home, Kiren Rijiju visited Tawang on Saturday morning to take stock of the situation. Although the Union Minister flown to Tawang in a chopper, he had to return by road as the chopper could not take off due to inclement weather.
While 16 construction labourer were killed on Friday wee hours after landslide swept a labourer camp in Tawang, one of the seriously injured construction workers breathed his last at a hospital on Saturday wee hours. Saturday’s death took the toll to 19.
“There have been fresh landslides at Thongleng Village, located about 20 km from here on Saturday. Over 30 houses have been washed away in the village, killing two persons instantly,” said a senior official.
“The situation is still grim. We have pressed the State Disaster Rescue Force, the National Disaster Rescue force and the Army into relief and rescue works,” he said, adding electricity has been cut off in most of the places since Friday.
“The human causality is less as the people have been on alert due to the grim situation,” the officials said adding that most of the people in the village have shifted to other places in fear of landslides and thus escaped the tragedy.
He said that the worst affected areas are – Bomdir FSD, Bomba, Paidhar, New lebrang, Khremeteng, Ngomadung HDS colony, lemberdung area, Changporong, Jang, Mukto, Thingbu, lhou and Shyo Basti area.
It may be mentioned here that Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul has been monitoring the situation personally and he has asked the district administration officials in all the districts to remain vigilant for any untoward situation. The Chief Minister has also asked the officials in all the districts to ensure relief materials to all the people in distress.
The incessant rains for past few days have led to floods and landslides in most of the districts of the hill state and many places have remained cut off from other due to landslides on the state highways at many places. While the Tawang district remained one of the worst victims of landslides, devastations have also been reported from other districts like Anjaw, Changlang, lower Subansiri and East Siang districts.