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2 killed in Meghalaya as torrential rain lashes parts of Northeast
In neighbouring Assam, heavy downpour on Friday led to water-logging at several places in Guwahati. Landslides caused by rain in the past few days have affected traffic movement in parts of Dima Hasao district, officials said.
Shillong: Two people were killed and houses and roads were damaged in Meghalaya as torrential rain lashed several parts of North-eastern states since Thursday night, and continued unabated on Friday.
Heavy rainfall continued in Meghalaya’s capital Shillong and other parts of the state since Thursday midnight claiming the lives of two people and damaging property. Administrative officials said water levels in rivers had risen and landslides were also reported from some areas.
Sidres Kharsahnoh, 42, a resident of Jongsha village in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district died when he got caught in a landslide. “The body has been retrieved and handed over to his relatives,” a senior official in the state disaster management authority (SDMA) told HT over phone.
In Byrnihat, Ri-Bhoi district, along the Meghalaya-Assam border, an unidentified person died and four others were injured when a tree came crashing down on the auto rickshaw, they were riding in. West Khasi Hills too witnessed heavy rain and minor landslides occurred at Nongstoiñ block in which two houses were partially damaged.
According to the data collected till Friday afternoon, in East Khasi Hills, heavy rain/landslides/flooding occurred at Greater Shillong, Mawpat, Mylliem and Pynursla C&RD Blocks.
Mawkyrwat in South West Khasi Hills’ recorded 184.0 mm of rainfall on Friday, followed by Shillong which witnessed rainfall of 111.5 mm and Sohra (Cherrapunjee) of 104.8 mm.
In neighbouring Assam, heavy downpour on Friday led to water-logging at several places in Guwahati. Landslides caused by rain in the past few days have affected traffic movement in parts of Dima Hasao district, officials said.
In Manipur, normal life has been hit due to incessant rain since the last three days leading to a rise in water levels of the major rivers of the state. The water levels of Imphal River and Nambol River were flowing close to danger mark on Friday morning.
Many low lying areas of Imphal, the state capital, were submerged due to lack of proper drainage system for the second day on Friday. Landslides were reported in between Senapati and Karong in Senapati district and mudslides occurred at Lamlenkon near T Vaichong along IT Road.
On Thursday, standing crops were submerged by the overflowing water from Khamelok River in and around Lamboikhul and Uyumpok Mamang Leikai farms in Imphal East district, officials said.
The Imphal-Jiribam sector of National Highway 37, the second lifeline of Manipur, has been cut off after a bailey bridge over Irang River collapsed after torrential rain washed away the foundation of the bridge on Thursday. The Manipur-Mizoram route had also been cut off after the newly built diversion road was washed away by rain on Wednesday.
In Tripura, at least two houses were damaged due to heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds in South and Dhalai districts of Tripura in the past 24 hours. According to the latest report of the Meteorological Department, a total of 14.8 mm rainfall occurred on Friday from 8:30 am till 2:30 pm with minimum temperature recorded at 24.8 degree Celsius.
According to the IMD office, thunderstorms, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in parts of all seven states in the region over the next five days.
(With inputs from Guwahati, Imphal and Agartala).
