Five Army Personnel Missing, Four Labourers Killed as Flash Floods, Landslides Hit Arunachal

August 15, 2026

Itanagar: Five Army personnel reportedly went missing after a flash flood swept away two shelters at an Army camp in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley district, while four labourers were killed in a landslide at a road construction site in Upper Subansiri district, officials said on Saturday.

Both incidents occurred late Friday evening following heavy rainfall, according to officials of the State Emergency Operations Centre.

Five Army Personnel Missing in Dibang Valley

In Dibang Valley, a flash flood swept away two shelters at the 5th Grenadier’s Pasu Pani Army Camp.

Seven Army personnel were reportedly washed away in the incident. While two were rescued, five remain missing.

Two search and rescue teams of the 5th Grenadier have been deployed to locate the missing personnel. Personnel from the 58th Battalion of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), 62 RCC of the General Reserve Engineer Force, Arunachal Pradesh Police and local volunteers have also joined the operation.

A team of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) from Pasighat is being sent to Anini to assist in the search and rescue efforts.

Four Labourers Killed in Upper Subansiri Landslide

In another rain-related incident, four people were killed after a major landslide struck the Keojaring-Byaching road construction site in Upper Subansiri district, burying workers under the debris.

The deceased have been identified as Tadu Baki, Taji Rai, Markosh Basumatari and Babul Ali.

The body of Babul Ali has been recovered, the district disaster management officer said.

Personnel from Nacho Police Station have been deployed for the search and recovery operation. Fire and Emergency Services teams from Daporijo and the SDRF are also being mobilised to assist.

The SDRF team will move from Ziro to Daporijo on Sunday and subsequently proceed to Nacho. It will coordinate with the Officer-in-Charge of Nacho Police Station and be assisted by a local guide from Daporijo during the search and recovery operation.

Authorities are coordinating with all concerned agencies to ensure the safe and effective conduct of the search and rescue operations.

The twin incidents occurred amid heavy rainfall in several parts of Arunachal Pradesh, triggering flash floods and landslides and creating challenges for rescue and relief operations in remote areas.