Search operations continue for five Indian Army soldiers swept away by a cloudburst and flash flood in Arunachal Pradesh, the Army’s Eastern Command said, with helicopters and ground teams mounting renewed efforts early on Thursday, August 20, 2026. The cloudburst struck the Pashu Pani area of Anini in the Upper Dibang Valley on August 14, triggering a massive flood and landslide that destroyed two shelters at the 5th Grenadiers’ Pasu Pani camp.
With weather improving, Army Aviation Corps assets carried out extensive aerial searches on Wednesday but were called off at dusk when light failed. A senior official said ground teams were coordinating with helicopters across extremely rugged terrain and that “search will continue till we trace them.”
Seven personnel were swept away in the sudden flooding on August 14; two were later rescued and two critically injured soldiers were evacuated from a riverbed, the Eastern Command said in a post on X. Five soldiers remain missing and search-and-rescue teams have been intensifying efforts to locate them.
Units deployed to the operation include search teams from the 5th Grenadiers, the 58th Battalion of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the 62 RCC of the General Reserve Engineer Force, Arunachal Pradesh Police and local volunteers. A State Disaster Response Force team from Pasighat has also reached the site, while Army aviation has flown sorties whenever weather permitted.
Officials warned that persistent bad weather, heavy inundation and the area’s steep, rocky landscape-with fast-flowing rivers-are complicating access and visibility for rescuers. The Army said it may seek additional support from the Indian Air Force if required and noted that much of the affected zone is uninhabited, limiting local reporting.
The Eastern Command reiterated that “Army Aviation is undertaking continuous Search and Rescue and Casualty Evacuation operations in Dibang Valley” and that more assets will be deployed if the situation demands, as teams press on to find the missing soldiers.
Original Source: https://tripurachronicle.in/national-news/search-for-missing-soldiers-continues-in-arunachal-pradesh/
Category: National News
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Publish Date: 2026-08-20 08:02:00
