SHILLONG, Sept 23 � Twenty-four persons have lost their lives and another 24 are feared dead after being reported missing in the flood-affected areas of the Garo Hills region in Meghalaya, according to State Government officials.
Triggered by incessant rains for the last 36 hours, the flood had also affected more than three lakh people and over 20,000 people were sheltered in relief camps, they said today.
At least three districts in the Garo Hills region were declared worst-affected. Three fresh deaths were reported from West Garo Hills district today. The district had earlier reported eight deaths.
The bodies of five persons were retrieved from different places in North Garo Hills district, Additional Superintendent of Police Ramesh Singh said.
Seventeen persons were feared dead in North Garo Hills district�s Kharkutta area while another seven were feared dead in neighbouring West Garo Hills district, the officials said.
In all, 12,000 persons were shifted to 29 relief camps set up in South West Garo Hills district alone, District Deputy Commissioner Ram Singh said.
In North Garo Hills district and West Garo Hills district, several relief camps have been set up and officials are awaiting reports for an exact number of persons lodged in those camps.
Two teams of NDRF squads have arrived with eight boats in North Garo Hills district for search and rescue operations early today even as the BSF and the Air Force are carrying out similar operations in West Garo Hills district and South West Garo Hills district.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who was stranded in Guwahati along with Speaker AT Mondal while on their way to the flood-affected region on Monday, reviewed the situation.
Sangma also took a chopper ride to the flood-affected areas in the region and ordered the district authorities in affected areas to compile details of damages and losses at the earliest.
Seven persons were killed in South West Garo Hills district yesterday after heavy rains lashed the area inundating over 100 villages and affecting over one lakh people, Deputy Commissioner Ram Singh said.
The MeT department has warned of heavy to very heavy rains at a few places with extremely heavy rains at isolated places in Meghalaya in the next 24 hours.
A report from Aizawl said the Mizoram Government has issued a warning in all the eight districts saying there is a possibility of extreme weather conditions in the State and neighbouring States during the next two days.
The warning said heavy rainfall could hit Northeastern States like Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura during September 23 and 24. � PTI
