Floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains have killed at least 16 people over the last two weeks in India’s northeast, authorities say.
More than 300,000 people have been displaced from their submerged homes while the Indian army and air force have been assisting with rescue efforts in Assam, one of the worst-hit states.
A military helicopter flew 13 fishermen to safety after they were stranded for four days on a small island on the Brahmaputra, one of Asia’s largest rivers, officials said.
The Brahmaputra River overflows annually but in 2024 increased rainfall has made the river, already known for its powerful, unpredictable flow, even more dangerous for those living near it or on one of the more than 2000 island villages in the middle.
In neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, landslides have wiped out several roads.
Army troopers there rescued 70 students and teachers from a flooded school in Changlang district, police said.
Heavy flooding in the states of Sikkim, Manipur and Meghalaya swept away roads and collapsed bridges.
So far more than 80 people across six northeastern states have died since the end of May due to floods and mudslides brought on by the rains, according to official figures.
Back in Assam, animals at the famed Kaziranga National Park, home to some 2500 one-horned Rhinos, are moving to higher ground to escape the floods.
Park rangers are monitoring their movements to ensure their safety, the state’s chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
