Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Itanagar: Four people died and five soldiers vanished Friday night in Arunachal Pradesh. Heavy rain triggered dual disasters. A landslide buried a construction crew in Upper Subansiri district while flash floods ripped through an Army camp in Dibang Valley.
The landslide hit the Keojaring-Byaching road site. Tadu Baki, Taji Rai, Markosh Basumatari, and Babul Ali died in the slide. Search teams recovered Ali's body, but the others remain trapped under debris. Nacho police, Daporijo fire crews, and the State Disaster Response Force are working the site.
Conditions worsened in Dibang Valley. A flash flood struck the Pasu Pani Army Camp, destroying two shelters belonging to the 5th Grenadier. Seven soldiers went into the water. Two were rescued, but five are still gone. Officials identified the missing as Havaldar Upendar, plus Kundan, Vinod, Aditya, and Samunda.
Search efforts are massive. The 5th Grenadier, the 58th Battalion of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and the 62 Road Construction Company are scouring the area. Local volunteers and Arunachal Pradesh Police joined them. A State Disaster Response Force team is moving to Anini to help. According to the State Emergency Operations Centre, "Both incidents occurred on Friday evening following heavy rainfall."
Updated at 15th August 2026 at 10:00pm
Military brass have deployed aviation assets to assist the rescue effort in Dibang Valley and handle medical evacuations. These units are working alongside search teams from neighboring Army posts despite flooded ground and brutal weather.
Separately, the Subansiri River in Upper Subansiri is surging to dangerous, high levels despite no rain falling in the immediate area. Local footage shows the water carrying massive amounts of timber and debris, some of which residents believe floated downstream from across the Chinese border. Authorities have warned locals to stay clear of the banks as the unusual spike in flow threatens nearby property and riverfront communities.
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