Floods and rain-induced landslides killed four people in Assam on Sunday, taking the death toll to 70 since May 22.
Officials of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said the fresh wave of flood has affected 12.97 lakh — more than double the figure 24 hours ago — across 24 of the State’s 33 districts.
“Two people drowned in Kampur and Kaliabor areas of central Assam’s Nagaon district while two more, both males, were buried alive by landslide in Sonapur area of Kamrup (Metropolitan) district early morning,” an ASDMA spokesperson said.
So far, 44 people have drowned or were washed away and 26 died in landslides. Officials said 2,101 people have taken shelter in 118 relief camps across 12 of the worst-affected districts. Rescue workers evacuated 2,339 of them to safety.
Western Assam’s Barpeta district was the worst affected with 3.84 lakh people displaced, followed by Dhemaji (1.31 lakh) and Golaghat (1.08 lakh). An overflowing Brahmaputra inundated 125 of Kaziranga National Park’s 223 anti-poaching camps, but officials said the water level was manageable and necessary for the natural cleansing of the one-horn rhino habitat’s water bodies. There was no addition to the 41 animals that died over a month.
In Tinsukia district, operations to douse the flame atop a natural gas well of Oil India Limited were affected by the flooding of the site at Baghjan. The operations had resumed after the water level subsided a week ago, and the fire-fighters are expected to kill the fire by July 15.
Heavy rain lashed several parts of Arunachal Pradesh during the last 24 hours, causing landslides and flash floods. Officials said there was no loss of life but many places have been cut off and some vital bridges were under threat.
