Heavy rains trigger deadly landslides, floods across northeast & south India

CLAIM AT LEAST 20 LIVES

- 

Heavy rainfall over the past 48 hours has caused severe flooding, landslides and disruption in Northeast India, claiming at least 18 lives in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.

In Southern states of Karnataka and Kerala, incessant rains and flooding have resulted in the loss of many lives and affected tens of thousands.

Assam reported five deaths from landslides in Kamrup Metropolitan district, including three women who were killed in a landslide near Guwahati's Bonda area, Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah confirmed. Flooding affected more than 10,000 people in six districts, including Kamrup, Cachar, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, and Golaghat, where two relief camps and one distribution center have been set up.

A red alert remains in effect for 18 districts amid heavy rain and gusty winds. Massive waterlogging was reported in Guwahati, forcing the closure of schools and special leave for government employees.

In Arunachal Pradesh, flash floods caused by the overflowing Sigin River in Upper Subansiri district inundated Daporijo town and several colonies.

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, officials said.

Rescue efforts 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.