Relentless monsoon rainfall continued to batter Arunachal Pradesh on June 29, causing fresh landslides, flash floods and widespread destruction across at least 12 districts, while rescue and relief operations gathered pace amid worsening weather conditions. The ongoing rain-related disasters have disrupted road connectivity, damaged public infrastructure and claimed more lives, prompting authorities to maintain high alert across vulnerable regions.
In Lower Dibang Valley district, the Indian Air Force successfully rescued four people who had been stranded on an island in the swollen Sisiri River in the Dambuk area after floodwaters surrounded them. The district also witnessed extensive damage to the Roing–Anini road, where flash floods washed away roads and bridges at several locations, severely affecting transportation.
In Anjaw district, an excavator operator was feared dead after a massive boulder crashed onto the machine during highway construction work near Sarti village on the Walong road late on Sunday. Rescue efforts, suspended overnight because of poor visibility and the threat of additional rockfalls, resumed on Monday morning with assistance from personnel of the Walong Outpost and Hawai Police Station. Officials have temporarily closed the affected road section until debris is cleared, while the operator’s condition is yet to be officially confirmed.
East Siang district remained among the worst affected as continuous rainfall triggered multiple landslides, flash floods and road washouts. Authorities reported that only two out of 11 major damaged roads had been reopened, while important routes such as Pasighat–Pangin, Pasighat–Mariyang–Yingkiong, Pasighat–Mebo–Dambuk–Bomjir, Bilat–Ledum and Pasighat–Yagrung–Ledum–Tene continued to remain blocked or unsafe for travel.
Infrastructure damage in East Siang further intensified after the left-side approach to Letong Bridge on the Pasighat–Runne–Takilalung road was washed away. Roads near Balek Secondary School, Ranaghat Bridge and the Poglek River crossing also became impassable due to floodwaters and landslides.
The Ledum area experienced severe flooding after a river altered its course under the impact of incessant rain. At least 10 houses were inundated, with one dwelling nearly submerged. Two cattle were washed away, while a community toilet, a rice mill and three shops sustained damage. Around 12 affected families were shifted to safer locations, where a community Dere has been converted into a temporary relief shelter. Although no casualties were reported, the collapse of a crucial bridge has disrupted connectivity in the area.
In Lower Siang district, a major landslide at Siji blocked the flow of the Siji River near the Likabali checkpost, leading to fears of downstream flooding as water accumulated upstream. A motorcyclist narrowly escaped after being swept downhill along with his motorcycle during the landslide. Police immediately alerted riverside residents to move to safer places before officials confirmed on Monday morning that the river had resumed its normal flow after the accumulated water gradually receded.
Meanwhile, search operations entered their sixth consecutive day in Keyi Panyor district, where two people remain missing following the devastating flash flood that struck the NEEPCO colony at Poosa last Wednesday. The disaster’s death toll rose to three after rescuers recovered the body of Saurabh Kumar Kharwar near Hawa Camp in neighbouring Papum Pare district on Sunday. Earlier, the bodies of two women had already been recovered on Wednesday and Saturday.
The flash flood left widespread destruction in Keyi Panyor, with preliminary assessments indicating that around 30 houses at the NEEPCO colony were completely washed away. Another 10 houses were destroyed and 14 partially damaged in nearby Possa and Pitapool villages. In total, 128 households have been affected, while 60 displaced residents are currently staying at a relief camp established on the NEEPCO campus.
Officials said the ongoing spell of heavy rain has impacted Keyi Panyor, Papum Pare, Kra Daadi, Kurung Kumey, Lower Subansiri, Kamle, Upper Subansiri, East Siang, Leparada, Lower Siang, Lower Dibang Valley and Anjaw districts.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast continued heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning over East Siang and adjoining districts, including Leparada, Lower Siang, Lower Subansiri and Papum Pare. Authorities have urged residents to avoid travel through flood- and landslide-prone areas unless absolutely necessary and to strictly comply with official advisories until weather conditions improve.
