Torrential monsoon rains have triggered flash floods and landslides across northeastern India, leaving at least 30 people dead over the past two days, officials confirmed on Sunday.
Disaster management authorities reported that eight people lost their lives in Assam and nine more in Arunachal Pradesh, with many casualties resulting from landslides caused by saturated soil collapsing into valleys. In neighbouring Mizoram, five people also perished due to a similar landslide.
Elsewhere, six people died in the state of Meghalaya, while Nagaland and Tripura each reported at least one fatality as relentless downpours continued to hammer the region.
A red alert was issued for several northeastern districts as monsoon rains, which have not let up for three consecutive days, caused rivers to overflow. Among the swollen rivers is the Brahmaputra, which originates in the Himalayas and cuts through India’s northeast on its way to Bangladesh.
In Manipur, the Indian army launched a large-scale rescue operation, relocating hundreds of residents from inundated or unstable areas. Troops distributed food, clean water, and essential medicines to those affected, according to a statement released on Saturday.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma urged authorities to stay on maximum alert, especially in flood-prone and landslide-susceptible regions.
Each year, India’s monsoon season – which runs from June to September – brings vital rainfall to recharge water supplies but also causes widespread destruction. Flash floods and landslides during this period frequently result in heavy casualties across the country.
The monsoon provides critical relief from India’s scorching summer temperatures. However, changing climate patterns have made rainfall increasingly erratic, and while the region is growing hotter, scientists are still researching how global warming is impacting the monsoon.
Just last month, Mumbai saw its earliest monsoon rains in nearly 25 years, causing significant flooding across the financial capital.
