Rain batters northeast, 18 dead

(Above) NDRF personnel move people to safety in a waterlogged locality in Guwahati, Assam, on Saturday; Rescue personnel assist locals in an inundated area, in Imphal East district, Manipur. PTI

- Agencies

GUWAHATI: Torrential rain battered the northeast India, triggering flash floods and landslides, and killing at least 18 people, including nine in Arunachal Pradesh, five in Assam, one in Mizoram and three in Meghalaya, officials aware of the matter said on Saturday.

At least nine people have been killed in flash floods and landslides in Arunachal Pradesh as heavy rainfall lashed the state in the past few days, they added.

Seven members of two families lost their lives after their vehicle was swept off the road by a landslide late Friday night along the Bana-Seppa stretch of National Highway 13 in East Kameng district, police said.

The vehicle was en route to Seppa from Bana in Bichom district when a sudden landslide triggered by heavy rainfall pushed it into a deep gorge, said East Kameng superintendent of police (SP) Kamdam Sikom.

"All the victims were residents of Kitchang village in Bana," he added.

Rescue efforts began immediately, but were severely hampered by torrential rain, fresh landslides, and extremely poor visibility through the night. Despite these challenges, police and rescue teams continued their efforts.

"On Saturday, the operation resumed with vital support from local villagers. After several hours of a painstaking search, the wreckage was located approximately 150 metres below the highway," Sikom said, adding that all seven occupants were found dead inside.