4 dead as heavy rain, landslides ravage Assam
GUWAHATI: Amid incessant rainfall in Assam, the Kamrup district administration on Tuesday issued an urgent advisory for Guwahati citizens, urging them to not venture out unless absolutely essential, after four persons died in a massive landslide. The city has been receiving heavy spells of rain for the past few days, throwing normal life out of gear.
The landslide took place on Sunday, around 1pm due to the constant downpour, an official of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) told PTI.
A massive piece of land fell on a house on a hillside at Nijarapar in the Boragaon area where four persons were residing.
“No other person is trapped as of now,” ASDMA district project officer (Kamrup Metropolitan) Kaustav Talukdar said.
Landslides have also been reported from another half a dozen places in the city, including Kamakhya, Kharghuli, Hengerabari, Silpukhuri and Chandmari Colony, but there were no reports of any casualty, the official said.
With this, the total number of fatalities from floods, landslides and other rain-related activities this year went up to 42.
Knee-deep water and partially submerged vehicles on submerged roads were seen at many major intersections in the capital. At some places, the water levels even crossed the waist. The approach road of the Guwahati railway station was also inundated.
Scores of vehicles, including school buses, were stuck on the roads as their engines failed in the flood waters, which have also entered hundreds of houses in the ‘smart’ city. Massive traffic jams were reported from many areas with vehicles stranded for several hours.