Nineteen out of the estimated 30 villagers stranded in a river island of the Siang in Arunachal Pradesh have been rescued by the Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper. The stranded villagers who are milch cattle rearers were stranded after the Siang — the Brahmaputra as it is known in Arunachal Pradesh — swelled following incessant rains in China that led to an abnormal increase in the water level of the Tsangpo.
The 19 people stranded at Sille-Oyan in East Siang district were rescued by an IAF chopper following a written request by East Siang DC Tamiyo Tatak.
#FLASH | Nineteen out of the 30-35 people stranded in a small island along the Siang river at Sille-Oyan in East Siang district of #ArunachalPradesh rescued by IAF chopper. The IAF rescued the stranded people following a written request by East Siang DC Tamiyo Tatak. pic.twitter.com/swv56yZCoB
— NEWS LIVE (@NewsLiveGhy) August 31, 2018
Efforts are underway to rescue the rest of the stranded people although SDRF personnel who have been assisting rescue operations and were headed to the island had to return following strong water current.
Incidentally, Chinese authorities had earlier issued an alert, warning the Indian Government of the possibility of massive flooding in the downstream states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam following the incessant rainfall.
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The district administrations of East Siang in Arunachal Pradesh and Dhemaji in Assam had in turn warned people living near the Siang not to venture into the river or carry out fishing activities and swimming “to avoid any eventualities”.
