A rain-triggered landslide killed five persons, including a woman and her three daughters, in south Assam’s Karimgang district on Wednesday, taking the toll in weather-induced incidents in the state to 40 since May 27.
Incessant rain has also battered the neighbouring states of Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh with the Met office predicting the weather to remain inclement over the next four days.
Officials in Karimganj district said the landslide took place in Gainachora under Badarpur police station around 12.45am, trapping Roymun Nessa, 55, and her three daughters — Sahida Khanam, 18, Jahida Khanam, 16, and Hamida Khanam, 11 — in their house located under a hillock while they were asleep. Another family member, three-year-old Mehdi Hassan, also died in the incident.
Abdul Karim, husband of Nessa, said the mudslide covered one portion of his house, including the room where the deceased were sleeping. Karim was sleeping in a separate room.
Rescue operations started in the night itself but only the bodies could be recovered from the debris.
The flood situation in Karimganj following incessant rain over the last five days has turned worrisome with most areas and roads being under water and affecting over 2,45,379 people and 280 villages in Karimganj district alone.
Several rivers, including Kusiara, Singla, Langai, Kakra, Kachua and Gumti, are flowing above danger level. At least 60 relief camps have been set up for the affected.
The five deaths in Karimganj have taken the death toll because of flood, landslide and storm in Assam to 40 since May 27 after Cyclone Remal and the subsequent arrival of the monsoon.
At least 19 of Assam’s 35 districts, 2,96,384 persons and 979 villages have been affected in the ongoing flood till Wednesday .
The Met office on Wednesday predicted light to moderate rain across most places in Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram over the next four days.
Incessant rain has made the Kamrup metro administration, which covers Guwahati city, launch a door-to-door awareness campaign in landslide-prone areas to avoid rain-induced incidents. Two emergency helplines (1077 or 9365429314) have also been activated for the residents.
In neighbouring Meghalaya, chief minister Conrad K. Sangma reviewed the flood situation in the state caused by incessant rain over the past few days.
While directing the district administrations to remain alert, he also asked them to extend relief and ex gratia within 48 hours.
There have been reports of disruption in road traffic and power supply from several areas of the hilly state, especially in Garo Hills.
The rain also triggered landslides in several areas of Arunachal Pradesh. Road connectivity was disrupted between Banderdewa and Nirjuli after a portion of National Highway 415 was washed away on Tuesday.
