One person was killed and 17 people sustained injuries in Assam due to heavy rains accompanied by strong winds after Cyclone Remal in several parts of the State, officials said on Tuesday.
Officials of Assam State Disaster Management Authority confirmed that one person had died.
Following the forecast of heavy to hefty rainfall due to the impact of Cyclone Remal, which made landfall in neighbouring West Bengal and Bangladesh, several districts of Assam were placed on high alert. Rising river waters from heavy rains in the Dima Hasao district led to the Haflong-Silchar link road being severed as a significant portion of it was washed away.
Officials from the Assam State Disaster Management Authority reported that 11 districts, including Kamrup, Nagaon, Sonitpur, and Morigaon, bore substantial impact from the cyclone. In Morigaon, heavy rains resulted in one fatality and injuries to four others. Meanwhile, in the Dhekiajuli area of Sonitpur district, a falling tree branch injured 12 students from Usha English School while they were aboard their school bus.
All injured students were swiftly rescued and transported to hospitals for treatment, where they are currently under medical care and supervision.
Reports of fallen trees have surfaced from districts like Kamrup and Nagaon, particularly in regions like Palashbari, Chaygaon, and Boko Revenue Circle. The district administration has noted that the water levels of several rivers have surged due to continuous rainfall, and there have been numerous incidents of landslides.
Simanta Kumar Das, Deputy Commissioner of Dima Hasao District, informed ANI that the administration has temporarily closed the Haflong-Silchar connecting road until June 1 due to safety concerns. He mentioned that several landslide occurrences have been recorded across the district, and rescue teams are actively engaged. While a section of the Haflong-Silchar road has been breached, there have been no reports of casualties in the district thus far.
Furthermore, the state has witnessed the uprooting of numerous trees and electric poles, resulting in road blockages in various areas. Amid the ongoing storms and persistent rainfall, teams comprising the State Disaster Response Force, alongside police and forest department personnel, are continuously striving to mitigate the situation.
Cyclonic storm Remal made its landfall in Bangladesh’s coastal area on Sunday night.
The cyclone ‘Remal’ has moved nearly northward with a speed of 15 kmph over Coastal Bangladesh and adjoining Coastal West Bengal. According to the Kolkata Police, many areas of the city have been hard-hit by the severe cyclonic storm.
The severe cyclonic storm ‘Remal’ has weakened since making landfall last night and is expected to downgrade into a deep depression by the evening, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) announced on Monday.