Arunachal Highway Collapses as Flash Floods Devastate Districts

Itanagar: Heavy rains tore through Arunachal Pradesh this week, triggering flash floods that wiped out infrastructure and blocked key transit routes. A section of the Manmao-Changlang Highway collapsed between Old Jukhi and New Jukhi, leaving travelers stranded as the state remains under water.

Search crews recovered the body of school teacher Nirmala Gupta in Keyi Panyor district after debris flows struck the NEEPCO Colony. Four people remain missing, including Elesh Marak and Sourav Kumar. Emergency teams continue to scour the area for survivors. Officials said, "The department was activated immediately after receiving reports of flash floods in the Poosa area and remained on alert for emergency response measures."

The Indian Air Force stepped in to help. Planes flew from Hollongi to Pitapool to drop off rescue supplies and State Disaster Response Force personnel. Rescuers managed to pull Bishu Sinha from the Yazali reservoir and saved a stranded scientist along the Itanagar-Hoj-Yazali road.

Landslides cut off major roads across six western districts. The Papum Pare administration warned drivers to avoid NH-13 and NH-713A after overnight slides buried the pavement. The Border Roads Organisation is working to clear the wreckage, but persistent rain keeps hampering the cleanup efforts.