Rains continue to pound NE; toll in flash floods, landslides jumps to 34


Rains continue to pound NE; toll in flash floods, landslides jumps to 34

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GUWAHATI: Monsoon rains continued to trigger widespread landslides and flash floods in Northeast, taking death toll to 34 on Sunday, officials said.


The first wave of the floods in Assam, triggered by incessant rains, affected over 3.64 lakh people across 19 districts and disrupted road transport and train services. Manipur, Arunachal


Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura and Sikkim have been also affected by the rains.


Four persons -- two in Assam and one each in Mizoram and Tripura – died on Sunday which took the Northeast toll to 34. Ten people died in Assam, nine in Arunachal, six each in Meghalaya and


Mizoram, two in Tripura and one in Nagaland. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday spoke with Assam, Arunachal, Sikkim chief ministers and Manipur Governor to take stock of the situation.


Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Shah offered all possible assistance to deal with the situation. “I have briefed him on the measures being taken and we are grateful for his


concern and support,” Sarma said. He cautioned people that heavy rainfall in Arunachal— Kibithoo (17 cm), Hayuliang (15 cm), Kalaktang (10 cm) — might lead to a sharp rise in the river water


levels downstream. “Assam is already witnessing intense rain in Silchar (42 cm), Karimganj (35 cm) and Hailakandi (30 cm). People living in low-lying and riverbank areas are advised to stay


alert and follow local advisories,” he said.


The Northeast Frontier Railway cancelled several trains as rainwater submerged tracks in the Karimganj section of Barak Valley.


In Sikkim, nearly 1,500 tourists were stranded as roads were blocked following landslides. The rains disrupted the search for nine missing tourists from Odisha and West Bengal. Their vehicle


had fallen into river Teesta, 1,000 ft below, recently. There were altogether 11 occupants in the vehicle and two were rescued.


The Indian Air Force (IAF) rescued 14 people who were stranded in the middle of flooded Bomjir river in Lower Dibang Valley of Arunachal. The IAF pressed into service an Mi 17 helicopter


following requests from Arunachal and Assam governments. The floods in Manipur affected over 3,800 people and damaged at least 883 houses. Imphal East district suffered maximum damage. Some


major rivers breached embankments, flooding vast swathes of the state capital Imphal and surrounding localities.


The floods in Tripura affected over 1,300 families. Chief Minister Manik Saha said the flood-affected people in the West Tripura district were being moved to safer areas. He said the


administration was helping the marooned everywhere. Mizoram reported landslides and landslips from 211 locations which disrupted road travel. Sixty houses collapsed. Damages were also


reported from parts of Meghalaya.