21 killed, seven injured in three Assam landslides (Lead)

June 2, 2020
Silchar (Assam) At least 21 people, including three children and 10 women, were killed in three separate landslides in southern Assam on Tuesday, officials said.

According to district administration officials, eight deaths were reported from Hailakandi, seven from Cachar and six from Karimganj district.

Seven other people were also injured in the landslides triggered by incessant rains since Monday.

Officials said that in Hailakandi’s Algapur, eight people including four women and a child of two families were killed.

In the second incident in Cachar’s Jaypur, Tajim Uddin Laskar and his three daughters and three sons were buried alive when a mudslide hit their house.

Police rescued Laskar’s wife and another son and took them to a government hospital.

In the third incident in Karimganj’s Kaliganj area, six people including three women and two children were killed.

Several teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and police, accompanied by local people, recovered the bodies and injured people from all the places and took them to hospitals.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal condoled the deaths and asked the district administrations to take all steps to help the affected families.

He also asked the officials to sanction financial aid to the families of the victims.

Sonowal later tweeted: “Deeply anguished at the loss of lives due to landslides triggered by incessant rain in Barak valley.

“I have directed Hailakandi, Cachar and Karimganj district administrations and SDRF to step up rescue, relief operations and facilitate all possible help needed to those affected.” IANS