Flash floods in Arunachal’s Kurung Kumey damage bridges, churches and homes; NH-13 hit

Flash floods triggered by continuous monsoon rainfall caused widespread damage in Arunachal Pradesh’s Kurung Kumey district on Monday morning. The sudden rise in water levels disrupted normal life in several localities as floodwaters swept through residential areas and public infrastructure.

Cloudburst over Kumey River floods Parsi Parlo

Officials said a cloudburst over the Kumey River led to the rapid increase in water levels. In Parsi Parlo, St. Thomas Church in Parsi Parlo was completely swept away by the floodwaters. A Baptist church in the area was also destroyed, according to officials.

The flooding affected parts of Kurung Kumey district and was also reported in Kamle and Pakke-Kessang districts since early Monday. In Kurung Kumey, heavy rainfall in the upper reaches of the river led to flash flooding in Parsi Parlo Circle and the Damin Sub-Division, with damage reported to homes and key infrastructure.

Bridges washed away, roads and access disrupted

Several bridges were reported washed away, worsening road connectivity. The bridge connecting Huri to Damin was swept away, severing road links, while the bridge connecting Pagam village was also lost. The Inspection Bungalow at Parsi Parlo was flooded, and two residential houses sustained partial damage. The flooding also disrupted road access to an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) camp after a bridge collapsed.

Outside Kurung Kumey, a portion of the Seppa–Itanagar stretch of National Highway-13 near Pakro village in Pakke-Kessang district was washed away due to heavy rainfall. This disrupted vehicular movement on the key highway.

District administration officials said they were coordinating with paramilitary forces, police, local residents and other stakeholders to assess the damage and manage relief efforts. Officials also noted that this was the third cloudburst-related incident reported in Arunachal Pradesh in the past one month.