Body of second Arunachal flood victim recovered, three still missing

Rescue teams on Saturday (June 27, 2026) recovered the body of one of the four persons missing after a cloudburst and resultant flash floods hit a hydropower project colony in Arunachal Pradesh’s Keyi Panyor district on June 24.

The district’s Superintendent of Police, Angad Mehta, said locals identified the victim as 30-year-old Ballari Marak, hailing from Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi district. Hers was the second body recovered after that of Nirmala Gupta, 35, a teacher at NEEPCO’s Vivekananda Kendriya Vidyalaya, on the day of the disaster.

NEEPCO is short for North Eastern Power Corporation Limited, a Central public sector undertaking.

“The State Disaster Response Force and Keyi Panyor police personnel are continuing the search and rescue operations for three other missing persons, despite adverse conditions,” Mr. Mehta said.

He also said the strategic Potin-Kimin Road, a lifeline for Keyi Panyor and five other districts of central Arunachal Pradesh, remained blocked due to persistent landslide activity, and continuous slippage of earth and debris onto the carriageway despite repeated clearance efforts.

“We have deployed police personnel at vulnerable locations to facilitate landslide clearance operations, regulate traffic, and ensure public safety,” Mr. Mehta said.

The Superintendent of Police further said that road restoration work was continuing on a war footing, subject to weather conditions, with priority accorded to emergency vehicles, essential supplies, and engineering equipment in order to restore connectivity.