By Matters India Reporter
Itanagar: A massive landslide triggered by heavy rains on July 11 killed 14 people and trapped many others in Arunachal Pradesh’s Papum Pare district
“Too sad news. At least 14 people were killed at Laptap village because of heavy landslide,” Dagge, a survivor, told Matters India. He said rescue operations were on even late in the evening.
The landslide washed away five houses in the village.
Unconfirmed reports said the victims were Baptist Christians belonging to the Nyishi tribe.
“It is time for lamentation for us. We lost our big family members. All the victims belong to Tana family,” Dagge added.
He also said it was first time in the district that all the members of a family perished in a landslide. He requested the local legislator and the state chief minister to visit the village.
The incident took place at the Laptap village in Toru circle, 20 km away from Sagalee in Parum Pare, where last week over 150 people were trapped for three days after a massive landslide. They were rescued by the Indian Air Force chopper, which later crashed killing four, ndtv.com reported.
Although rescue teams from National Disaster Response Force or NDRF, State Disaster Response Fund or SDRF and state police has been sent to the spot, they could not reach the area since the road to the village is blocked by several landslides.
The local government officials and villagers are currently carrying out the rescue operations.
According to Additional Deputy Commissioner Jalash Pertin, chances of any survivors are dim.
Papum Pare has experienced heavy rains for the past four days.