Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 7 : Floods and landslides in Assam claimed two more lives on Saturday, raising the total death toll to 23 this year, officials said.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), this year, floods have claimed 17 lives, and six people have been killed in landslides in the state so far.
On Saturday, one person died in a landslide in Guwahati, while another drowned in floodwaters in the Chandrapur area of Kamrup (Metro) district.
The ASDMA flood report said that the flood situation in Assam is gradually improving, and the water level of the Brahmaputra River, Barak River and its tributaries in many places is decreasing.
Over 3.37 lakh people in 12 districts--Hailakandi, Nagaon, Kamrup, Morigaon, Cachar, Sribhumi, Goalpara, Darrang, Lakhimpur, Biswanath, Kamrup (M), and Golaghat--are still affected by the first wave of deluge.
12,659.99 hectares of crop area and 999 villages are still under water. The ASDMA flood report stated that, 193244 people are affected alone in Sribhumi district followed by 73724 people in Hailakandi district, 56398 people in Cachar district.
1.47 lakh people are taking shelter in 201 relief camps and distribution centres set by the administration in flood hit districts. 19,1192 animals have also affected in the current wave of flood.
Earlier in the day, following a landslide triggered by continuous rainfall in Assam's capital, Guwahati, NDRF teams launched a time-sensitive rescue operation in the Rupnagar locality as two houses were reduced to rubble.
Officials said they have pinpointed the location of one person trapped under the debris and are working to extract the victim within the next few hours.
Speaking to ANI, NDRF officer Pankaj K, speaking from the site of the operation, said, "The teams are deployed and working professionally. Dog squads have also been deployed. We know the exact location of the person stuck in the debris."
He added that the rescue personnel are carefully working to remove heavy boulders obstructing access to the victim.
"There are big boulders; once they are removed, we can retrieve the victim. After the progress, 4-5 feet of debris is yet to be removed to reach the victim. We are trying to finish the operation in 1.5 hours or so."