Four killed in massive landslide after heavy rain in Guwahati

GUWAHATI: Four persons were buried alive in their sleep in the Boragaon area of Guwahati when the rain-induced landslides struck their house in the wee hours of Tuesday. 

The victims, all of them construction labourers, were staying at a rented accommodation.

With these, the death toll in floods and landslides in the Northeast since May went up to 54 – 36 in Assam, 13 in Meghalaya and five in Arunachal Pradesh.

GD Tripathi, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, said the incidents of landslides occurred in several parts of Guwahati. 

“I received reports that landslides buried four persons at Boragaon in Guwahati and later, their bodies were retrieved. Landslides occurred also in three to four other localities of the city. There was damage to property but no loss of lives in these incidents,” Tripathi said.

Some areas of Dima Hasao and Cachar districts were also affected by the landslides and Tripathi said “I haven’t received any severe information so far”.

Assam has been witnessing heavy rainfall since Monday night. Almost all roads and localities in Guwahati were flooded. In an advisory, the state government asked people in Guwahati and its adjoining areas not to venture out, unless necessary.

The Guwahati-based Regional Meteorological Centre predicted heavy to very heavy rains in the entire Northeast over the next four days.