Shillong: Twenty-four people have lost their lives and another 24 are feared dead after being reported missing in the flood-affected areas of the Garo Hills region in Meghalaya, according to state government officials.
Triggered by incessant rain for the last 36 hours, the flood had also affected more than three lakh people and over 20,000 people were camping in relief camps.
At least three districts in the Garo Hills region were declared worst-affected.Three fresh deaths were reported from West Garo Hills district on Tuesday. The district had earlier reported eight deaths.
In Shillong, a landslide in the Mawbah area on the outskirts of the city killed at least eight people, including two women, on Monday night, East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police M Kharkrang said.
The bodies of five people were retrieved from different places in North Garo Hills district, Additional Superintendent of Police Ramesh Singh said.
Seventeen people were feared dead in North Garo Hills district's Kharkutta area while another seven were feared dead in neighbouring West Garo Hills district, the officials said.
In all 12,000 people were shifted to 29 relief camps set up in South West Garo Hills district alone, District Deputy Commissioner Ram Singh said.
In North Garo Hills district and West Garo Hills district, several relief camps have been set up and officials are awaiting report for an exact number of persons lodged in those camps.
Two teams of NDRF squads have arrived with eight boats in North Garo Hills district for search and rescue operations early on Tuesday, even as the BSF and the Air Force are carrying out similar operations in West Garo Hills district and South West Garo Hills district.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who was stranded in Guwahati along with Speaker A T Mondal while on their way to the flood-affected region on Monday, reviewed the situation. Sangma also took a chopper ride to the flood-affected areas in the region.
