Heavy rainfall batters Northeastern states; flash floods, landslides kill 19

Relentless rains over the past three days have battered several states across India's Northeast.

At least 19 people have lost their lives, dozens are feared trapped, and over 12,000 residents have been affected as floods and landslides caused widespread devastation.

Also read | Monsoon rains lash Kerala, IMD issues red alert for 5 districts

Rains wreak havoc

Mizoram, Assam, Manipur, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh have been the worst hit, with roads washed away, homes destroyed, and thousands rendered homeless.

While rescue operations are underway across multiple locations, continuous heavy rain and infrastructure damage have severely hampered efforts.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red alerts for several northeastern states, warning of more downpours in the coming days.

Mizoram

Mizoram’s Lawngtlai town witnessed a catastrophic landslide, triggered by relentless rainfall, that brought down three buildings late Friday (May 30) night.

Eight people are feared to be trapped under the debris, while two injured individuals have been rescued so far. The 3rd Battalion of the Indian Reserve Police, stationed in the Thingkah village near Lawngtlai, is en route to assist in the rescue efforts.

Volunteers from the Young Lai Association (YLA) and police forces are spearheading the rescue operations, despite heavy rainfall which continues to hamper debris clearance.

The landslide struck Chanmary, Lawngtlai’s commercial centre, collapsing buildings that served both residential and commercial purposes. One of the floors reportedly housed a hotel sheltering Myanmarese refugees.

Cries for help were reportedly heard beneath the rubble, intensifying rescue efforts, hampered by continuous rain and limited equipment. National Highway-54 remains blocked, cutting Lawngtlai off from the Siaha district.

Also read | Delhi braces for heavy rain, thunderstorms as IMD issues orange alert

Assam

Assam is battling dual crises of urban floods and landslides, triggered by three days of heavy rainfall.

At least five people died in Kamrup Metro due to landslides, while over 12,000 people across five districts have been affected by floods. Guwahati, Silchar, and surrounding regions are facing urban floods, impacted by rising levels of floodwaters.

Several relief camps have been set up for those displaced. More than 10,000 affected residents in five districts sought shelter in relief camps.

In Lakhimpur, water breached a protective ring bandh, inundating a large area. Disaster response forces, including the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), have been deployed for rescue operations.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma attributed the situation to heavy rainfall in the hills of Meghalaya and said he would meet his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma to discuss coordination efforts.

Arunachal

Arunachal Pradesh has reported nine deaths in separate landslides across the state. In a tragic incident on National Highway 13 near Seppa, seven people were killed in a massive landslide that swept away their vehicle on Thursday (May 29) night; all bodies were recovered by rescue teams the next morning.

Meanwhile, two labourers were killed and two others rescued after a landslide struck near the Pine Grove area on the Ziro-Kamle road in the Lower Subansiri district.

Flash floods have also struck the Upper Subansiri district, affecting over 100 families. The Sigin river overflowed, inundating localities such as Sigin-I, Sigin-II, Sigin-III and Sinyik Colony.

The district administration has issued an advisory urging people to take precautions and avoid low-lying areas during the ongoing spell of heavy rain.

The IMD has issued a red alert for the state, forecasting heavy rain likely to continue on May 31 and warning of persistent widespread rain through June 5 and possible flash floods in East Kameng, East Siang, Dibang Valley, and West Kameng, over the next 24 hours.

Also read | Above-normal monsoon rainfall likely in June: IMD

Tripura

One fatality was reported in Jirania, Tripura, while more than 200 people were rendered homeless following thunderstorms and heavy downpours over the last two days.

At least 106 houses were damaged, and affected families have taken refuge in four relief camps. The Howrah river in Agartala rose to 10.01 metres, though the critical level is 10 metres

Roads across Longtrai Valley, Jampuijala, and other regions were blocked due to fallen trees. A few roads have reportedly been cleared, though more details are awaited.

The IMD warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall (7-20 cm) and squally winds gusting to 60 km/h.

The Tripura government had issued an advisory to all district magistrates to begin preparations ahead of the natural calamity that might occur due to the low-pressure area created over the Northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast.

Manipur

In Manipur, the Imphal River and its tributaries overflowed following four days of incessant rain, flooding areas in Imphal East.

Many families residing along the Senapati river bank, 60 km north of Imphal, were also evacuated to safer places due to flooding.

Imphal West recorded an extreme 197.8 mm of rainfall in a single day on Friday (May 30), leading to flash flooding in various parts of low-lying areas.

Following incessant rainfall for the past four days, the water level of other major rivers such as the Nambul, Iril, and Nambol is flowing at warning levels.

The IMD issued a red alert and predicted widespread light or moderate rainfall likely to continue over Manipur.

Also read | Monsoon arrives in Kerala, earliest onset over Indian mainland since 2009: IMD

IMD warnings

The regional MET centre in Guwahati said that the heavy rain is due to a depression over Bangladesh, which is slowly moving towards the northeast.

There are predictions of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in the five northeast states, with squally winds between speeds of 40-60 km/hr at some places.