Eight including six children killed in landslides, floods in Assam, Meghalaya

Eight persons, including six children, died in Assam and Meghalaya due to landslides and flood on Thursday as heavy rains wrecked havoc triggering flash floods and landslides at different places.

Over 10 lakh people in 24 districts in Assam remained affected due to floods on Thursday.

Four children of a family, aged between four and eight, died at Laitlarem village in East Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya after their house collapsed due to landslide following heavy rains. Four others in the family were injured. Two more children died similarly in landslides near Goalpara town in western Assam as normal life remained affected due to rains. One person each in Udalguri and Dima Hasao in Assam died in flood.

A portion of NH-6 was damaged due to landslides on Thursday in Meghalaya, thus snapping road communication between Guwahati and South Assam via Meghalaya.

All educational institutions in six districts in Assam were kept shut on Thursday due to unabated rains while life remains seriously affected in the state capital Guwahati due to flashfloods and landslides.

Educational institutions in Kamrup Metro district (comprising Guwahati) were first shut on Tuesday due to severe flashfloods and landslides at various places and forecast of more rain. The same was extended for Thursday as there was not much improvement in the situation in Guwahati. Administration in Guwahati decided to keep the educational institutions shut on Friday as several streets remained waterlogged, witnessed landslides and IMD alerted about rains on Friday too.

On Tuesday, four construction workers died after they were trapped under the debris of their rented houses at Boragaon area in Guwahati.

The administration in Dima Hasao, Bajali, Nalbari, Bongaigaon and Tamulpur districts also decided to keep the educational institutions shut on Thursday.

The daily flood bulletin issued by Assam State Disaster Management Authority on Thursday evening said flood affected 10,51575 people in 24 districts in Assam. Over 61,000 people had taken shelter in relief camps. The situation is likely to deteriorate as heavy rains continued in many districts.

Floods and landslides this year so far have claimed 47 lives in Assam.