India's Arunachal Pradesh district cut off by landslides as five remain missing after flash floods

Flash floods and landslides have hit Keyi Panyor district in India's Arunachal Pradesh after a night of torrential rain, leaving the area almost isolated and rescue teams struggling to reach those affected. Officials said the Possa river overflowed and swept away 18 semi-permanent structures in a NEEPCO project colony. Five people remain missing, while four others have been rescued so far.

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According to meteorological information cited by local officials, the Yazali station in Keyi Panyor recorded about 72.8 mm of rainfall over 24 hours, with most of it falling between 6 am and 9 am on Wednesday. District Commissioner Shweta Nagarkoti said one of those rescued was a geologist who had been trapped between two landslides. She said the continuing bad weather and multiple landslides in all directions were making rescue and relief work difficult.

Nagarkoti said the State Disaster Response Force is carrying out the rescue operation, but the National Disaster Response Force has been unable to reach the site. She said access from both Itanagar and Ziro has been blocked by landslides, leaving no vehicle route to the affected area. Rescue workers have reached the location on foot, and a helicopter has been requisitioned, but weather conditions have prevented it from flying from Itanagar.

The flooding has also raised concern beyond Arunachal Pradesh. Officials in neighbouring Assam have warned that increased river flow upstream in Keyi Panyor could raise water levels and flow velocity in the Brahmaputra and its tributaries over the next few days. The alert is expected to affect districts in Upper Assam and North Assam, including Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath and Sonitpur, where administrations have been told to stay vigilant and prepare preventive and response measures.

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The incident highlights the vulnerability of hill districts in the eastern Himalayas to intense rainfall, landslides and sudden river flooding. It also shows how quickly transport links can be severed in remote terrain, slowing emergency response and complicating search efforts. The presence of a hydropower project colony in the affected area adds to the operational sensitivity of the event, although officials have not said whether the project itself was damaged.

What remains unclear is the condition of the five missing people and how long it will take to restore access to the district. The situation is still developing, with rescue teams dependent on weather conditions and blocked roads. Authorities in both Arunachal Pradesh and Assam are expected to continue monitoring the river system and the landslide-prone routes in the coming days.

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