Northeast flood situation remains grim; toll rises to 36, over 5.5L people affected

The flood situation across the Northeast remained grim on Monday, with the death toll from incessant rains, flash floods and landslides climbing to 36 and more than 5.5 lakh people affected across multiple states.

- MPOST BUREAU

Assam bore the brunt of the deluge with 11 fatalities and over 5.35 lakh people displaced across 22 districts, even as rivers swelled above danger levels and key transport links were snapped.

Other severely impacted states included Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim and Manipur, where widespread devastation, including loss of lives, missing soldiers, and mass evacuations, painted a bleak picture of the monsoon's fury.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Lakhimpur district, among the worst-hit areas, and assured the affected people of all possible assistance.

Road, rail and ferry services remained affected in the state due to heavy rain in several areas.

In Sikkim, three army personnel died and six soldiers went missing after a landslide hit a military camp at Chhaten, a defence official said on Monday.

The landslide, which occurred at 7 pm on Sunday near Lachen town in Mangan district, was triggered by heavy rainfall in the area, he said.

"A catastrophic landslide occurred following intense and continuous rainfall in the region causing death of three combatants, identified as Havaldar Lakhwinder Singh, Lance Naik Munish Thakur, and Porter Abhishek Lakhada," the official said in a statement.

"Rescue teams are working round-the-clock under challenging conditions to locate the six missing personnel," he said.