Arunachal: Potin area cut off after cloudburst triggers flash flood

The Potin area in Arunachal's Keyi Panyor district is cut off after a cloudburst-triggered flash flood. The disaster washed away homes and vehicles, leaving 5 missing and 1 dead. Restoration is underway but hampered by landslides.

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.

Eyewitness Accounts Describe Sudden Deluge

Speaking to ANI, Babul Das, who claimed to be an eyewitness to the incident, described the sudden onset of heavy rainfall and the rapid destruction caused by the flash flood. "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.

He further said that the entire incident unfolded within a very short span of time, leaving residents with little opportunity to respond as water levels rose rapidly in the early morning hours.

Another local resident, Mahabir Gupta, who is a family member of one of the deceased, described the incident as devastating and said he had lost his family members, who have not yet been traced. "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.

Five Missing as Restoration Efforts Continue

Meanwhile, officials said five people were reported missing in the incident, while the body of one woman has been recovered so far. The incident site at NEEPCO Colony is located around 9 km from the Potin area, which remains cut off due to blocked road connectivity.

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.

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