Three people were killed, road and rail connectivity cut and the Indian Air Force (IAF) called in as torrential downpour battered Assam, triggering landslides across the state.
On Sunday, officials said the inclement weather over the past few days had eroded sections of roads and railway tracks in Assam’s Dima Hasao district, affecting road and rail connectivity to the Barak Valley region.
Seventeen trains were cancelled/partially cancelled due to damage to tracks and bridges at 26 locations on a 76-km stretch and two trains were suspended, which left thousands of passengers stranded. Buses and helicopters were pressed into service to rescue stranded people.
#IAF helicopters evacuated 119 passengers from Ditokchera railway station in Assam, today. Located in the Dima Hasao district, the railway station had a train stranded for over 24 hrs due to incessant rains making rail movement infeasible. #IndianAirForce #SavingLives pic.twitter.com/NlgdNhFMEj— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) May 15, 2022
The IAF was also pressed into service, with the force rescuing 119 passengers of the Silchar-Guwahati Express after the train was stranded in the Cachar area due to heavy rain.
Photos and videos made available by Northeastern Frontier Railway showed that train tracks were damaged at many locations by flood waters. Officials say it will take several days to restore connectivity completely.
“We will be able to give a better picture of the evacuation process and the damages caused by late Sunday evening when latest reports from the district are available. Besides Dima Hasao, flooding was reported from five other districts of the state, but the situation there is not as bad,” said GD Tripathi, CEO, Assam State Disaster Management Authority.
More than 57,000 people have been affected by the Assam floods, news agency ANI reported, quoting an official statement. As per the latest data, nearly 222 villages under 15 revenue circles are reeling from the adverse effects of the flash floods. This led to the damage to 10321.44 hectares of cultivated land, which has submerged under floodwaters.
Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said that landslides have been reported from New Kunjung, Fiangpui, Moulhoi, Namzeurang, South Bagetar, Mahadev Tilla, Kalibari, North Bagetar, Zion and Lodi Pangmoul villages, where around 80 houses were severely affected.
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