[Monsoon havoc]
Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Jul 11: At least two children died and three more were injured when the hostel of the government residential school in Namtsering village, in Dudungar circle of Tawang district, collapsed in a landslide at around 3:30 am on Thursday.
The landslide occurred due to heavy downpour, Lumla SDMO Nima Tashi informed in a report. Namstering village is 12 kilometres from Lumla.
The deceased children have been identified as Class 5 student Rinchin Lhamu (10), and Class 6 student Genden Wangmu. The injured children are Sange Pema (12), Lhakpa Yeton, and Ngo Tsangmo.
The injured were taken to the Dudungar PHC, and one seriously injured child has been rushed to the Tawang district hospital.
The incident occurred at a time when the children were asleep, the SDMO informed.
On being informed by the district administration, a disaster management team left for the spot. The search-and-rescue operation started at around 5 am, with assistance from the villagers, teachers, police and district administration staff.
The operation was concluded after three hours. All the children’s belongings, including textbooks, were damaged in the incident. The school has been directed to be shut down until the rains recede.
In West Siang, incessant rain for the past few days has created communication bottlenecks at several places in the district.
The Aalo-Pangin-Pasighat road, which had been blocked on 10 July, was cleared on the morning of 11 July. Several passengers stranded at the block point had to wait for hours together, and many who had set out in the early hours of Thursday had to return.
The Aalo-Likabali road is also blocked, forcing commuters to take the Aalo-Pasighat road.
The main road near the helipad in Aalo is almost eroded, creating traffic jams there. Restoration work is currently underway.
Minor incidents of road blocks have also been reported from administrative circles and subdivisions of the district.
The West Siang administration has cautioned autorickshaw drivers and others to avoid parking beneath big trees. The district disaster management officer is closely monitoring the situation.
In East Kameng, rain-triggered landslides have led to the blocking of the Seppa-Tezpur road at Poto Pani, near Jayanti village, 12 kms from district headquarters Seppa. A portion of the highway has been swept away in a mudslide.
Sources in Seppa informed that restoring the road may take a week or so. Several passengers are reportedly stranded on either side of the block point between Seppa and Bana.
Our correspondent adds: In East Siang, Pasighat West MLA Ninong Ering on Thursday visited the flood-affected areas in Ngorlung and Niglok villages and took stock of the flood damages.
The MLA inspected the restoration work on the Bailey bridge in Niglok which has snapped the road link after the turbulent Sille river eroded its right abutment on Tuesday. The MLA directed the PWD engineers to “keep strict vigil on the situation and take needful step for early restoration of road communication.”
Ering also asked the department’s engineers to place an estimate for erecting an RCC protective wall for the Niglok bridge.
The Bailey bridge over the Sille river, between Niglok and Mikong villages, is located along the 14-km Mirem-Mikon-Jonai road.
The MLA also met Ruksin ADC Kabit Apang, EAC T Pertin, other officers and public leaders, and urged them to remain alert to deal with any disastrous situation during the monsoon.
Ering said he would move the state government for fund under the FDR scheme for the renovation activities. (With DIPRO inputs)
