At least 40 people have died and over two lakh have been affected across the northeast after flash floods, heavy rains, and landslides triggered by Cyclone Remal over the last four days.

Incessant rain and landslides have left parts of the northeast isolated as flood waters have submerged railway tracks. The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has cancelled express, passenger and goods trains bound for south Assam, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram since Tuesday as floodwater inundated railway tracks across the region.

On Thursday, a portion of National Highway 6 that connects Assam, Meghalaya, and Mizoram collapsed after a landslide.

Flash floods in Assam have affected thousands in nine districts as Kopili river, which flows through Assam and Meghalaya, is flowing over the danger mark. Over 35,000 people have been moved to relief camps in Assam.

In Manipur, three people have died while rescue operations are on to assist the thousands affected by the flood. The state has declared a public holiday on Friday as flood waters have entered areas in capital Imphal

In Mizoram, 27 people have died while search operations are on to locate several others missing after Tuesday’s landslides.

“So far, a total of 167 villages have been affected by the floods. Due to disruptions in communication, reports of affected families continue to trickle in from across the state. In the wake of severe landslide, triggered by incessant rain, 27 people have been found dead. Search efforts continue unabated, the death count is expected to rise,” Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma told NDTV.

The Mizoram Chief Minister announced ₹ 4 lakh compensation for the families of those killed in the calamities. He said that his government has earmarked ₹ 15 crore to tackle the disaster.

Cyclone Remal, the first major cyclone of the year, left a trail of destruction in India and Bangladesh after it made landfall on Sunday evening.

Aizawl:

The death count in multiple landslides in Mizoram’s Aizawl district mounted to 29 after four more bodies were recovered from various places, a police officer said today.

Seven people are still missing and rescuers presume that they are trapped under the debris at different locations following landslides and incessant rain in the aftermath of cyclone Remal on Tuesday, he said.

A total of 25 bodies, including 14 from a stone quarry collapse site, were recovered till May 28 night.

After four more bodies were found since late Tuesday night, the toll in a stone quarry collapse site at Methum has risen to 15 and that at Hlimen to five, Aizawl Superintendent of Police Rahool Alwal said.

Three bodies were found at Aizawl’s Salem Veng locality, two each at Falkawn and Aibawk villages and one each at Lungsei and Kelsih villages on Tuesday, he said.

Of the 29 victims, 23 are Mizoram residents, five people are from Jharkhand and one from Assam’s Silchar town, according to Alwal.

Among the deceased are a four-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl.

Aizawl Deputy Commissioner Nazuk Kumar said that search and rescue operations are still on and will continue till all missing persons are found.

She said that teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police and fire department have been deployed in the search and rescue operations.

The state capital was cut off for several hours from the rest of the country on Tuesday due to a landslide on National Highway-6 at Hunthar in the western part of the town.

The road blockades were cleared in the evening and traffic movement was restored, officials said.

In Aizawl town, cemeteries at Republic Veng, Kanan Veng and Kulikawn were damaged by the landslides.

Officials said that the state capital witnessed no rain since morning on Wednesday.

The Mizoram government ordered the closure of all offices and PSU units except those departments involved with disaster management and essential services on Wednesday in view of the inclement weather warning issued by the IMD.

General Administration Department Commissioner and Secretary K Lalthawmmawia in an order also advised the private sector offices to adopt ‘work from home’ mode as far as possible.

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma announced Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia for the families of those killed in the calamities.

He said that his government has earmarked Rs 15 crore to tackle the disaster.

More than 150 houses have been destroyed, dozens of trees and electric poles were uprooted, several roads were blocked and over 50 dwelling units were submerged across Mizoram in rain and landslides, officials said.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)