Sixteen construction labourers from Assam were buried alive in landslides, triggered by incessant rains, near Tawang on the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh on Friday.
Tragedy struck the victims in their sleep at Famla village, located five kilometres away from Tawang, in the wee hours. They were engaged in the construction of a five-star hotel. The family of former Arunachal chief minister, the late Dorjee Khandu, owns the land and the under-construction hotel. The hotel was being built under the supervision of Khandu’s son Pema, who is an MLA.
According to officials, the victims were staying in a camp near the construction site. Tonnes of mud and stones came crashing on them, burying them instantly. Later, the bodies were retrieved by the Army with assistance from the district administration and locals.
“Seventeen workers were lodged in the camp. While 15 of them were killed on the spot, two were critically injured. One of them succumbed to his injuries later. When reports last came in, the other injured person was being taken to Tezpur (in Assam),” chief minister Kalikho Pul told dna.
All the victims were from Tezpur and Dhekiajuli areas of Assam. The chief minister said the rains had wreaked havoc in his state.
“The situation in most parts of the state is critical due to the rains. There is artificial flood even in Itanagar. We urgently need the support of Central government to combat the situation,” Pul said.
According to officials, the entire stretch of National Highway 13, which connects Tawang to the rest of the world, has either been blocked by landslides or washed away due to the continuous rainfall.
The rains have also thrown life out of gear in Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland.
Union home minister Rajnath Singh called up Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Kalikho Pul to discuss the floods and the landslide situation in the state.
“Singh has assured full central assistance to Arunachal Pradesh to tackle the floods situation arising due to a swollen Noa Dehing river. He has asked director general of National Disaster Response Force OP Singh to rush rescue teams to the landslide-hit Famla village in Tawang, bordering China,” said an official.
A high-level committee chaired by the home minister also approved assistance of Rs.84.33 crore for Arunachal Pradesh to tackle floods.