Flash floods, landslides in North-east kill 23, displace 7 lakh

Flash floods and landslides have killing 23 people and displacing a further 7 lakh people in the North-east.

CNN-IBN reported that nearly 20 people were killed in Sikkim, three in Arunachal Pradesh and more than 7 lakh people affected in Assam after days of incessant rainfall triggered landslides and flash floods in the region on Sunday.

In Sikkim, landslides swept away houses, buildings, roads, bridges and everything else in their way, in the northern part of the state, while a labour camp at the Teesta Hydel Project site was also washed away.

The twenty deaths in the state are believed to include seven Border Roads Organisation (BRO) personnel, three civilians and one General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) personnel. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) claimed that 11 of its personnel were missing.

In Arunachal Pradesh, flash floods resulted in the deaths of three people.

In Assam, thirteen districts are affected, the worst-hit being Tinsukhia. The Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger mark and the Kaziranga and Dibru-Saikhowa national parks are under water.

Nearly 60 relief camps have been set up across the state to cater to the flood victims. This is the fourth time that floods have hit the state this year.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Army have been called in for rescue operations.

CNN-IBN said that according to the latest reports, nearly 30 km of a highway was washed away and the region between Mangan and Chungthang was said to be affected.