Itanagar, June 14: At least 14 people were buried alive and 15 injured in landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in and around the state capital this morning.

Sources in the chief minister’s office this evening confirmed 14 deaths, but failed to identify the victims. Unofficial sources put the toll at 21 and said the number was expected to rise.

The affected areas are Moptu, Niti Vihar, Abo Tani and Chandra Nagar in Itanagar and Naharlagun and Nirjuli in Papum Pare district.

One person was killed in Nirjuli, four in Naharlagun, four in Niti Vihar, one in Abo Tani and four in Chandra Nagar. All the casualties were reported between 4 and 8am.

The president of the Arunachal Drug and Chemist Association, Jimmy Tasser, was buried alive when his house collapsed in Nirjuli.

A family of four was killed in Niti Vihar when their house caved in.

Poultry farm owner Yumra Chai died while trying to flee his bamboo-and-tin house in Abo Tani Colony.

Sources said three girls who were travelling to Itanagar from Naharlagun in a Tata Sumo, died after their vehicle was trapped in a landslide on National Highway 52.

Rescue teams fished out a body from the Dikrong, 15km from Naharlagun.

The injured and dead were rushed to the RK Mission Hospital at Ganga here, Naharlagun General Hospital and Assam. Two persons are still undergoing treatment at RK Mission Hospital. Efforts were still on to ascertain the exact magnitude of the damage.

The state government has called in the air force to help the police and CRPF in carrying out rescue operations.

Though traffic was plying between Itanagar and Naharlagun by this afternoon, the stretch between Banderdewa and Naharlagun remained blocked.

Chief minister Dorjee Khandu, who made an aerial survey of the affected areas, announced a Rs 1-crore relief and rehabilitation package besides Rs 1 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 for the injured.

Telephone, power and water services remained cut off since last night. Mobile phone services were working but the Internet was down.

The heavy rains in Arunachal Pradesh have caused floods in Lakhimpur district of Assam. Deputy commissioner Manish Thakur said the flash floods have inundated 160 villages, affecting nearly two lakh people. No casualty was reported.

Dispur today sounded a statewide flood alert. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi discussed the scenario with water resources minister Bharat Narah. The situation will be reviewed tomorrow.