28 dead in landslides, floods in northeast India

Published September 23, 2014
— File photo by AP
— File photo by AP

GAUHATI: Landslides and flash floods triggered by two days of heavy rain have killed at least 28 people in India's remote northeast, officials said Tuesday.

At least 14 people have been killed in northern Meghalaya state. Another 14 deaths were reported in neighboring Assam state, where several districts, including the capital, Gauhati, were flooded.

In Assam's worst-hit district of Goalpara, 90 villages have been submerged and more than 150,000 people have been asked to leave their homes for higher ground, said district official Pritam Saikia.

Thousands of people who left were camped on a state highway as local authorities struggled to create relief shelters for them. In Gauhati, army troops and federal workers were trying to rescue trapped residents and army helicopters were on standby, said Anand Tiwary, the local superintendent of police.

Several neighborhoods were under waist-deep water. The rain halted for several hours Tuesday, but more rain was forecast for the next 36 hours.

The area is prone to flooding during the June-to-September monsoon season. In June, at least 11 people were killed in heavy flooding in Gauhati city.

Earlier this month, monsoon floods inundated Kashmir, killing more than 270 people in the Indian-held portion of the Himalayan region, which is divided between India and Pakistan.

Opinion

Editorial

May 9 fallout
Updated 09 May, 2024

May 9 fallout

It is important that this chapter be closed satisfactorily so that the nation can move forward.
A fresh approach?
09 May, 2024

A fresh approach?

SUCCESSIVE governments have tried to address the problems of Balochistan — particularly the province’s ...
Visa fraud
09 May, 2024

Visa fraud

THE FIA has a new task at hand: cracking down on fraudulent work visas. This was prompted by the discovery of a...
Narcotic darkness
08 May, 2024

Narcotic darkness

WE have plenty of smoke with fire. Citizens, particularly parents, caught in Pakistan’s grave drug problem are on...
Saudi delegation
08 May, 2024

Saudi delegation

PLANS to bring Saudi investment to Pakistan have clearly been put on the fast track. Over the past month, Prime...
Reserved seats
Updated 08 May, 2024

Reserved seats

The truth is that the entire process — from polls, announcement of results, formation of assemblies and elections to the Senate — has been mishandled.