Assam: Rescue operation underway in Guwahati's Rupnagar locality after landslide

Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 7 (ANI): 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.
Sopeaking 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."
Earlier today, at least 64 villages in Assam's Morigaon district were affected by floods, with residents facing major difficulties in transportation and accessing necessities.
Several villagers said they still struggle to recover as the floodwaters damaged their homes, household goods, and crops like paddy and rice. Two days ago, floodwaters from the Brahmaputra River inundated all houses in the Mayong Chapori Gasbari area.
Liyakat Ali, a resident of Mayong Chapori Gasbari, told ANI, "Every family in this village are facing the same problems."
Around 200 families live in the Mayong Chapori Gasbari area in the middle of the Brahmaputra River in Morigaon district.
Rabi Sarkar, another local, told ANI that this was only the first wave of flooding this year. "The people of this area are facing massive problems. Boats are the only transportation tool for the people of this area to reach other places in the district," he added, warning of three more expected waves in the coming days.
According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) flood report, floods in Assam have claimed 16 lives this year, and five others died due to landslides.
Around 4.44 lakh people in 18 state districts are reported to be still affected by the first wave of floods, which inundated 1296 villages. 16558.59 hectares of crop areas across 18 flood-hit districts are currently under water.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Hailakandi and Sribhumi districts, reviewed the prevailing flood conditions with district administrations and other line departments, and assured the affected people of all government help to restore normalcy once the flood water recedes.
During his day-long visit, the Chief Minister first visited several flood-hit areas in the Hailakandi district on Friday. He also visited relief camps set up at Kalinagar and Panch Gram and interacted with the camp inmates. While talking to them, he assured them that the government would provide complete support to assuage their sufferings. (ANI)