Tripura landslides: In a tragic incident, at least seven people, including three members of a single family, lost their lives and two villagers are reported missing after landslides struck multiple locations in Tripura, officials said. The landslides, triggered by continuous heavy rainfall, occurred at three to four different spots across the state. According to Brijesh Pandey, Secretary of the Revenue Department, five of the fatalities were reported from South Tripura district, while one death each was reported in Gomati and Khowai districts. The missing individuals were last seen in Khowai and Gomati districts.
The relentless downpour, which began on Sunday (August 18), has led to widespread waterlogging in several areas. In response to the severe weather, a red alert has been issued for South Tripura district based on the Meteorological Department’s forecast of moderate to heavy rainfall. An orange alert remains in effect for the other seven districts of the northeastern state. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and have urged residents in affected areas to exercise caution as the heavy rains continue.
Tripura reels under unprecedented rainfall
“For the past 48 hours, the state recorded unprecedented rainfall triggering landslides in many areas and rendered thousands of people homeless. Currently, 5607 families who were severely affected by the rain took shelter in 183 relief camps. Relief is being given to the affected people,” Pandey told a press conference in the evening. The three members of a family died at Debipur in South Tripura district when their house collapsed due to a massive landslide on Monday night, Santirbazar Sub-Divisional Magistrate Abhedananda Baidya told news agency PTI.
Details of casualties
In Gomati district, a 52-year-old man was killed and another went missing in Karbook area following a landslide on August 19, Additional District Magistrate Binoy Bhusan Das said. A 14-year-old boy died when mounds of earth fell on his house in Champlai area in Khowai district on Monday, a police officer said. Details of the two other deaths and one missing person are not immediately available.
What did Tripura CM say?
Chief Minister Manik Saha, who is in Delhi, instructed the administrations to take appropriate action in view of the natural calamity. He is scheduled to return to Tripura on Tuesday night. Several low-lying areas of the Santirbazar subdivision in South Tripura have been submerged due to heavy rain, Baidya said. Water was flowing above the danger level in Muhuri and Lawgang rivers and four relief camps were set up for the flood-affected people in the subdivision, he said. “Due to heavy rain, several areas in South Tripura and other districts are experiencing flooding. In response, relief centres have been set up to provide support to those affected,” the Chief Minister stated.
(With inputs from PTI)
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