Assam floods wreak havoc |
Around 200 thousand people in 20 districts of Assam have been affected by floods, with the hill district of Dima Hasao getting cut off from the rest of the state after landslides triggered by incessant rain snapped rail and road links. Two flood-related deaths were reported in the Cachar district, while three fatalities due to landslides were earlier recorded in Dima Hasao. Altogether 652 villages in 46 revenue circles in 20 districts have been affected so far. Around 55 relief camps have been opened in seven districts, sheltering 32,959 people. Another 12 relief distribution centers are also operational in different affected districts. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and Fire and Emergency Services, besides locals, have been carrying out rescue operations in the flood-hit areas. Embankments have been breached at 16 locations in different districts in the last 24 hours. Roads, bridges, and houses have been completed or partially damaged in several areas. Communication channels have also been snapped in Dima Hasao. Due to landslides, the district cannot be approached from the outside. All roads and railways leading to Haflong have been blocked since May 15. A Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) release in Guwahati said the evacuation of about 2,800 passengers of two trains, which were stranded along the Lumding-Badarpur section in Dima Hasao for the last two days due to landslides and waterlogging on tracks, was completed on May 16th. Many passengers were airlifted by the Indian Air Force even as incessant rain impeded rescue operations that were underway. The New Haflong Railway Station is completely inundated with debris and an empty passenger train standing at the station has been washed off the tracks due to a massive landslide.
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