GUWAHATIFive people were killed, and three were reported missing in a landslide and a road accident, about 650 km apart, within 36 hours in Arunachal Pradesh.

According to the District Disaster Management Officer (DDMO) in Upper Subansiri district, four workers were buried under debris when a landslide occurred at the Keojaring-Byaching PMGSY road-cutting site near Nacho on Friday (August 14, 2026) afternoon.

The four were identified as Tadu Baki, Taji Rai, Markosh Basumatari, and Babul Ali. Officials said only Ali’s body was recovered before the search was suspended due to operational constraints by Friday (August 14, 2026) evening.

“Fire and emergency services personnel and a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team reached the site before noon today,” a district officer said on Saturday (August 15, 2026).

On Thursday (August 13, 2026), a light commercial pick-up truck carrying 10 people, including the driver, fell off a road into the Lohit River at Sarti on the Walong-Hawai Road in Anjaw district. The incident happened around 6 a.m.

The Anjaw DDMO said the vehicle plunged about 300 feet below the road running along a cliff.

“A search-and-rescue operation involving the Anjaw police, Indian Army, SDRF, and local volunteers was initiated after we received the incident report around 10 a.m. While six people were rescued, a woman was confirmed dead, and three others were missing,” the officer said.

District officials said a National Disaster Response Force team has been requisitioned to continue the search for the three missing people, as “the SDRF has limited resources”.

Published - August 15, 2026 02:56 pm IST