Arunachal: Another body recovered from NEEPCO Colony debris; three still missing after flash flood
Yazali, June 27
Search and rescue teams on Saturday retrieved another body from the debris of NEEPCO Colony near Possa village in Arunachal Pradesh's Keyi Panyor district, where a devastating flash flood triggered by a cloudburst struck on June 24.
According to officials of NEEPCO, the recovered body has been identified as Balari Marak, 30 years old, who had gone missing along with four others following the flash flood that severely damaged the colony. With the latest recovery, a total of two bodies have now been retrieved so far, while three persons remain missing.
Earlier, the district administration had recovered the body of a woman from the affected site.
Munin Choudhury, Head of Plant of the 405 MW Panyor Lower Hydro Electric Project, confirmed the ongoing operations and said search efforts are still underway.
"Today one more has been recovered...So far, two bodies have been recovered, and 3 other persons are still missing. Search and rescue operations are still on," he told ANI.
"18 persons were injured while a flash flood washed away houses and damaged many others at NEEPCO Colony on June 24," Munin Choudhury added.
A local resident working at NEEPCO, Nich Tath, recalled the terrifying moments when the floodwaters began rising rapidly in the area.
"That day, I was at home. The water in the nearby drain was making a loud sound. When I got up and looked, I saw water spilling over the bridge. I woke up my family immediately. Then, I went to the adjacent quarters where a young man lived. He was likely asleep, as there was no electricity. I banged on his door to alert him. I also banged on the door of another neighbour--a woman--shouting that the water was coming and telling her to flee quickly. There was also a security guard from Bihar; I banged on his door to warn him as well. I didn't even think about my belongings; I just woke everyone up," he said.
Recalling the situation, he added, "Then the water level rose sharply. I managed to get my vehicle out and left with my sons and daughters... Everything of mine was damaged and washed away. It's all gone..."
The Potin area of Arunachal Pradesh's Keyi Panyor district continues to remain cut off from other parts of the state following massive destruction in Possa village (NEEPCO Colony) on June 24 due to a flash flood triggered by a cloudburst.
The flash flood caused widespread damage in the region, washing away vehicles and buildings and severely disrupting connectivity across multiple stretches. Restoration and road clearance work are currently underway, but the affected region remains inaccessible due to landslides and washouts at several locations.
The Potin-Possa Village and Potin-Yachuli-Ziro connecting road continues to remain blocked following heavy landslides triggered by the flash flood. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), district administration, and local residents are jointly engaged in restoration efforts to clear the route.
Officials added that road clearance operations are underway on a priority basis, but multiple damaged stretches caused by landslides, flooding and road washouts have made vehicular movement impossible in several areas.
The administration is monitoring the situation closely as efforts continue to restore connectivity and provide relief in the affected region.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is so tragic. The story of Nich Tath risking everything to wake his neighbors is incredibly brave—he didn't even think about his belongings. That's the spirit of humanity. I hope the remaining three missing persons are found safe, but the chances seem slim. Arunachal is beautiful but vulnerable to such natural calamities.
The NEEPCO colony is located in a valley near a river—how was such a settlement allowed without proper flood risk assessment? We need stricter regulations for hydro projects. The 405 MW Panyor dam might have contributed to the disaster. Government should review all such projects in the Himalayas.
The BRO and local administration are doing their best in tough terrain. But the fact that Potin remains cut off days after the disaster shows how fragile our infrastructure is in remote areas. We need more robust connectivity in the Northeast. 🙏 Praying for the missing persons and their families.
Sad to see such devastation. The resilience of the people there is commendable though—they're helping each other despite losing everything. This should be a wake-up call for disaster preparedness in the Northeast. Every state should have a flood response plan for such extreme weather events.
It's painful to read about families losing everything. But I noticed the article didn't mention any compensation or relief measures from the government. Hope the administration announces ex-gratia for the victims soon. Also, why aren't cloudbursts predicted better? Our meteorological department needs to step up. 😢
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