Rain fury: Five Army personnel missing in Arunachal Pradesh after flash flood, four killed following massive landslide

At least five Army personnel were reported missing in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley district after heavy rainfall triggered a flash flood, which washed away two shelters in the district, officials said on Saturday.

Here’s what we know

In Dibang Valley district, heavy rainfall on Friday evening triggered a flash flood that swept away two shelters belonging to the 5th Grenadier at the Pasu Pani Army Camp. Officials said the flash flood swept away seven Army personnel, and two of them were rescued, while five continue to be missing. The missing personnel have been identified as Havaldar Upendar and Army personnel Kundan, Vinod, Aditya and Samunda.

Two search-and-rescue teams from the 5th Grenadier have been deployed to the area.

Separately, four people died in a massive landslide on a road construction site in Upper Subansiri district, news agency PTI reported. Citing the State Emergency Operations Centre in Itanagar, both incidents were reported on Friday evening.

The landslide occurred at a road-cutting site along the Keojaring-Byaching road in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district. According to officials, while several people were buried under the debris, four people, who have been identified as Tadu Baki, Taji Rai, Markosh Basumatari and Babul Ali, were reported dead in the incident.

The Upper Subansiri district disaster management officer said authorities had recovered the body of Babul Ali. Search and rescue efforts are underway, with personnel from Nacho Police Station involved in the operation. Fire and Emergency Services personnel are also being mobilised from Daporijo, while a State Disaster Response Force team will join the rescue efforts.

Teams comprising personnel from the 58th Battalion of the ITBP, 62 RCC of the General Reserve Engineer Force, local volunteers and the Arunachal Pradesh Police have been sent to the site to assist with the search operation. An SDRF team from Pasighat is also on its way to Anini to support the rescue efforts.

Arunachal CM vows to build the state in a better way

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Saturday vowed to rebuild the state in a better way after natural calamities, including floods and landslides, ravaged the region. Khandu announced a ₹7,834 crore investment between 2026 and 2029 to strengthen roads, rural connectivity and other key infrastructure.