New Delhi : At least 25 people killed across the Northeast following days of relentless monsoon rains that triggered widespread landslides and flash floods. In Assam’s capital Guwahati, a mudslide buried several homes, killing five people — including three members of a single family. The incident occurred as heavy rains pounded the city, weakening the slopes and prompting fresh warnings from local authorities. Floods claimed three more lives, including two in Golaghat and one in Lakhimpur.
Neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, which shares a border with China, reported seven deaths after a vehicle was swept away by surging floodwaters. In a separate incident, two people drowned, bringing the state’s toll to nine. Eight deaths reported across Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya over the past 24 hours. Officials attributed the deaths to a combination of flash flooding and landslides caused by the unrelenting downpour.
In Manipur, three days of relentless rainfall have brought daily life in the state capital Imphal to a standstill. Waterlogging reported from several parts of the city, prompting authorities to issue flood warnings and urge evacuation of residents living along the floodplains of the Imphal River. Nearly 1,500 tourists stranded in various parts of north Sikkim as the main road was blocked due to landslides triggered by incessant rains. One person was killed, two injured, and eight others went missing when a vehicle in which 11 tourists were travelling plunged into the Teesta river in Mangan district earlier this week.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of continued heavy rainfall across the region in the coming days. It has issued red and orange alerts for parts of Assam and issued orange and yellow alerts for the rest of the northeastern region. In Assam, a total of 17 districts were hit by floods and landslides and over 78,000 people were affected, with over 1,200 taking shelter in five different relief camps. Lakhimpur is the worst-hit district with more than 41,600 people affected.
Relief and rescue operations went into overdrive in flood-hit Assam as teams from the NDRF, SDRF, police, and fire services evacuated residents to safety. Educational institutions in two districts remained shut on Saturday, while flight operations at Guwahati airport were disrupted on Friday amid heavy rains and gusty winds, officials said.