Keyi Panyor (Arunachal Pradesh) [India], June 26 (HBTV): The Potin area of Arunachal Pradesh's Keyi Panyor district continues to remain cut off from the rest of the state following extensive destruction caused by a cloudburst-triggered flash flood in Possa village (NEEPCO Colony) on June 24.
The flash flood caused widespread devastation, washing away vehicles and buildings while severely disrupting road connectivity across multiple stretches. Although restoration and road clearance work is underway, the affected region remains inaccessible due to landslides and road washouts.
Speaking to ANI, eyewitness Babul Das described the sudden onset of the disaster.
'We woke up at 4 am that day. It started raining by 5-5.30 am, followed by vehicles and buildings being washed away in the flash flood. It was raining very heavily and I had never seen anything like that. All of this happened within 30-45 minutes... We were really scared...' he said.
Das said the entire incident unfolded within a short span, leaving residents with little time to react as water levels rose rapidly in the early morning.
Another resident, Mahabir Gupta, whose family members remain missing, described the disaster as devastating.
'It felt like a tsunami. There was a cloudburst and it washed away everything. I lost my family too, they have not been traced till date... We are still scared because the soil is still in the same condition. If it rains or gets windy, it will be really dangerous...' he said.
Officials said five people were reported missing in the incident, while the body of one woman has been recovered. The affected NEEPCO Colony is located about 9 km from Potin, which remains inaccessible because of blocked roads.
The Potin-Possa village road and the Potin-Yachuli-Ziro road continue to remain blocked following heavy landslides triggered by the flash flood. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), district administration and local residents are jointly carrying out restoration work to reopen the routes.
Officials said road clearance operations are being undertaken on a priority basis, but multiple stretches damaged by landslides, flooding and road washouts have made vehicular movement impossible in several areas.
The district administration is closely monitoring the situation as efforts continue to restore connectivity and provide relief to affected residents. (ANI)