This Article is From Jun 17, 2015

12 Killed in Meghalaya Landslides in 4 Days; Flood Situation Worsens in Assam

The landslides were triggered by heavy rain (Photo courtesy: Alva Sangma)

Shillong: 12 people have died in Meghlaya in landslides triggered by heavy rains in the last four days.

Five people died in two separate landslides in Meghalaya this morning. The landslides were triggered by heavy rain, which have been continuing for the last two weeks.

Four people of a family were sleeping inside their home in Nakham Bazaar in Tura when a landslide hit the area. All four of them died. Another person was killed in a separate landslide in Akongre.

Three people were killed in a landslide in East Garo Hills last night. A bridge collapse in South Garo Hills means that area is cut off from the rest of the country.  

Heavy rain triggered a major landslide in Meghalaya's Jaintia hills region on June 13, including National Highway 44, killing four persons and injuring two. Thousands of vehicles are stranded along the stretch.

All these areas are close to the Assam border, where the flood situation is worsening with the Brahmaputra and Jia Bharali rivers flowing above the danger mark in some places.

One lakh seventy five thousand people across 11 districts have been affected in Assam, with Goalpara being the worst affected. Many link roads, and small bridges, especially in Goalpara, are under water.

On Monday, Assam received excess rainfall, inundating houses with flood water. There has been damage to roads and culverts in at least 11 districts in the state.

10 relief camps have been set up across Assam, with seven of them just in Goalpara. There are around 1700 people in these relief camps.

The floods have also affected over 9000 hectares of crop area.

The Assam government says it is coordinating relief efforts, but says the situation is not out of control or as bad as the floods of last year when over four lakh people were displaced.
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