Body of a missing woman found in Arunachal Pradesh

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: The body of a 20-year-old woman -- who went missing after a massive landslide had swept away her house in the Modirijo area in Arunachal Pradesh -- was found on Saturday, officials said.

The body of Lokam Minu was found around 10.30 am by personnel of the State Disaster Response Force, Superintendent of Police (Capital) Tumme Amo said.

Minu was in her house when a major landslide hit it at around 11.30 am on Friday. While the bodies of three other persons were found at the spot, she went missing and operations were on to find her, officials said. The rescue operation resumed again at daybreak and the body was found, Amo said.

In all, eight persons died in two landslides on Friday, even as the landlocked State grappled with a series of earthfalls due to incessant rains for the last couple of days. In another incident, four members of a family, including an eight-month-old baby, were buried alive as a massive landslide hit their house at Tigdo village in Papum Pare district in the early hours on Friday.

The death toll due to monsoon-related incidents in the State has climbed to 15. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the loss of lives, and said that all possible assistance is being provided to those affected.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu has appealed to the people residing in vulnerable places to maintain extreme caution and move to safer places.

Incessant rains for the last five days have triggered landslides and floods, leaving a trail of devastation in the State, damaging roads and houses and inundating low-lying areas. Landslides have been reported from various locations in and around the State Capital region.

Besides, road communication has been badly affected and the water level in the streams and rivers in the state capital has risen.

A series of landslides and flash floods has left a trail of destruction in East Siang district. The washing away of a 30-foot approach road to a bridge over the Sile river has affected communication on the Mirem Mikong-Ruksin road under Ruksin sub-division. Several pockets of Pasighat, the district headquarters of East Siang, are facing a flood-like situation with the low-lying areas completely inundated.

The Siang River and all its tributaries are flowing above the danger mark and the district administration has issued advisories, asking people not to venture into the rivers.

East Siang DC Kinny Singh has activated the Incident Response Team and directed the district disaster management officer and incident commanders of the district to remain alert.

He has also cautioned people against venturing into the Siang and Sibo Korong rivers for fishing and other activities.

A report from West Siang district stated that surface communication to the district has been snapped with rest of the state after the Aalo-Pangin Road blocked at 26th km near Pangin junction after a road formation washed out. All-out efforts are being made to restore traffic movements and a private excavator is being pressed into service to get an early clearance, Assitant Engineer (Highway) Gemar Padu who is monitoring the road condition of the district from Aalo to Pasighat, informed. Many landslides were also reported in the district due to incessant rain in the past few days.

The Aalo-Likabali road is also not worth for travelling as due to construction process, in many stretches of the road muds are being accumulated, the report said. All the major rivers and their tributaries are in spate in Lohit, Dibang Valley, Lower Dibang Valley, Pake Kessang, East Kameng, West Kameng, Longding and Namsai districts. 

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