3 August 2023
A very lucky escape in a debris flow in Arunachal Pradesh, northern India
Posted by Dave Petley
A very lucky escape in a debris flow in Arunachal Pradesh, northern India
The Arunachal Times has tweeted a remarkable video showing an exceptionally lucky escape for the driver and passengers of a car that was struck by a debris flow in Arunachal Pradesh in northern India. The event occurred in the Ribi Korong area on the road between Pashighat and Yingkiong on Friday 28 July 2023. This is the video:-
The passengers of a #TataNexon vehicle had a lucky escape when a sudden burst of water caused by #HeavyRainfall washed away their vehicle at Ribi Korong area on the #Pasighat–#Yingkiong road on Friday morning. pic.twitter.com/84ghoj8Jz6
— The Arunachal Times (@arunachaltimes_) July 28, 2023
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One passenger escaped just as the debris flow struck the car, and fled to the near side of the channel. The driver and another passenger were in the vehicle when it was struck. They were extremely fortunate that the debris flow front pushed the car to the side of the flow, where it became wedged, rather than either rolling it or incorporating it into the landslide. This image shows how close the occupants were to a disaster – the door had just been opened whilst on the other side the debris flow level was close to the windows:-
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The precise location of this event is not clear to me. It is reported to have been about 16 km from Pashighat, but I have not been able to tie it down more precisely.
This event continues the pattern of landslides and flooding that is occurring in many locations at the moment. For example, Beijing has just suffered an exceptional rainfall event, with some areas having received about 750 mm between 29 July and 1 August 2023, caused by the remnants of Typhoon Doksuri. The tropical cyclone season is in its comparatively early stages in both the northern hemisphere parts of the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, with the most damaging storms often occurring later in the year, plus the northern hemisphere monsoon still has a long way to go.
WOW — power of nature …. and our human-ness on display …