23 dead, 500,000 hit in north-east floods

NEW DELHI: At least 23 people were killed and more than 500,000 people affected as floods driven by torrential monsoon rains ravaged north-eastern states, officials and news reports said on Monday.

As many as 12 deaths were reported in drowning, landslides and electrocutions in the first wave of floods in Assam since last Wednesday, state disaster management official Suman Ahmed said.

Five of these deaths were reported over the weekend, he added.

An estimated 448,495 people were affected in Assam, including being displaced, stranded in their homes or suffering damage to their crops, land or livelihood.

Disaster management authorities were rescuing villagers from lowlying and inundated areas.

Eight flood-related deaths have been confirmed since mid-june from the neighbouring state of Manipur where over 200,000 people were affected, officials said.

Other states in the region were also hit by floods including Tripura, where three deaths were reported in the monsoon season, according to local media reports.

The situation was improving in Manipur and Tripura as rains eased on Monday, but thousands of homeless were still in state-run relief camps. Several areas remained cut-off due to landslides that had damaged roads. India’s monsoon season between June and September often sees heavy rains that are vital for agriculture but can cause immense destruction.