Flash floods claim two lives in Itanagar

Itanagar: At least two persons died while four others were missing in a flash flood which left a trail of devastation in the state capital of Arunachal Pradesh Friday morning, the police said.

A cloudburst triggered the flash flood at around 4.30 am, damaging over 50 houses, some vehicles and motorcycles in various parts of the state capital, besides disrupting water supply, SP M Harsh Vardhan said. While one person was rescued, a body of a minor boy was retrieved from Papu Nallah area.

The boy (3) has been identified as Kojom Beyong, the SP said adding, another women Yajik Rigio from Donyi Polo area, who was rescued with multiple fractures, succumbed to injuries at the R K Mission Hospital here. One person from Donyi Polo area and three from Modirijo area are missing while search operation is going on, the SP added.

The missing persons have been identified as Rigio Tagung and Mohan Das, both from Donyi Polo area and Meri Beyong and Phungpi Beyong from Modirijo. Five teams from the NDRF and four from the SDRF and police led by the SP have undertaken rescue operations since morning.

Itanagar MLA Techi Kaso is personally supervising the rescue operation and has directed the SP to arrange blankets and other essentials for those caught in the floods. Kaso also arranged food for them. The MLA also talked to Chief Minister Pema Khandu on the situation.

The administration has set up two relief camps at Modirijo government primary school and at Donyi Polo government primary school for the victims. The most affected areas include Modirijo, Donyi Polo area, Lobby, Chandranagar and Chimpu, the SP said.

The land protection wall of several nallahs and rivuelts in the state capital have been badly damaged following the floods. PHED sources said water tanks at Poma and Itanagar were badly damaged causing disruption in water supply.

Minor repair works on tanks could be completed within two days, while major repair works would take several days, the sources said.