GUWAHATI: The death toll in the first wave of the floods and landslides in Assam rose to eight after five more people died on Saturday.
According to Assam State Disaster Management Authorities, the floods claimed the lives of two persons in Cachar district and one each in Hailakandi and Hojai districts. One person died in landslides in the hill district of Dima Hasao.
An estimated 4.25 lakh people are affected in seven of the state’s 33 districts. The situation was the worst in Hailakandi where the members of many Muslim families were forced to offer their Eid prayers on rooftops on Saturday. The floods submerged 231 of Hailakandi’s 331 villages. Rivers such as Dholeswari, Katakhal and Barak were flowing above the danger mark.
Over 50,000 affected people were lodged in 87 relief camps in Hailakandi. In the six other affected districts, 45,646 people were taking shelter in 104 relief camps.
In Dima Hasao district, which lies between Barak Valley and the Brahmaputra Valley, incessant rains triggered fresh landslides at a number of places. Train services in the district remained disrupted for the past three days following landslides. The Northeast Frontier Railway said the restoration work was going on in full swing. In Manipur and Tripura, the situation was said to be improving.