At least 22 dead as India monsoon rains wreak havoc in northeast
Non-stop rains over the last few days have triggered landslides and flash flooding in areas such as Assam and Arunachal Pradesh
Landslides and flash flooding triggered by days of torrential monsoon rains in India’s northeast have killed at least 22 people, officials have said.
Five people, including three from a single family, were killed on Saturday when their homes were buried in a mudslide in Assam state’s Guwahati city, an official flood bulletin said.
In neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh state, which borders China, seven people were killed on Friday when their vehicle was swept away by floodwaters. Two others drowned in a separate incident in the state.
Eight people were killed in the states of Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya in the last 24 hours due to floods and mudslides brought on by the rains, according to official figures.
Meanwhile, in Assam, authorities disconnected the electricity in several areas to reduce the risk of electrocution, said state Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
“We have been reviewing the impending situation for the last three days,” he said in a statement, saying that supplies of rice had been dispatched as food aid.
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Dozens dead as monsoon rains and landslides wreak havoc in northeast India
Heavy rains also led to flooding in many urban areas of Assam’s capital city of Guwahati, leading to long power outages on Friday night and prompting authorities to shut schools and colleges on Saturday.