13 killed in Meghalaya landslips, 25 Assam districts flooded

Border Security Force jawan killed in South West Khasi Hills district

GUWAHATI

A series of landslips killed at least 13 people across three districts of Meghalaya on Friday, taking the death toll due to rain across the northeastern States to 81.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma took to Twitter to mourn the death of seven people in East Khasi Hills district’s Mawsynram block and two others, including a Border Security Force jawan, in South West Khasi Hills district.

This followed the death of four people in two separate incidents of landslips in South Garo Hills. While three of a family, including a minor, were buried alive in district headquarters Baghmara, a woman was killed in the Siju area.

“Four regional committees, each headed by a Minister, have been tasked with monitoring the situation to ensure relief for the affected people and ease the movement of vehicles,” Mr. Sangma said, announcing ₹4 lakh to the next of kin of each victim.

Floods in the low-lying areas of the State have cut off large swathes with vital stretches of roads and several bridges washed away. A section of an arterial highway caved in on Thursday cutting off southern Assam, Mizoram and Tripura.

On Thursday, landslips had killed five people in in the State’s East Khasi Hills district. The dead included four minors.