The death toll from the recent rains and floods in Tripura has climbed to 20, officials reported on Thursday. This comes after seven more people, including three women and a child, from two families lost their lives in landslides. The state is currently facing its most severe monsoon flooding in over three decades.
According to Disaster Management officials, the seven victims died in Santirbazar, South Tripura district, when their homes were destroyed by a massive landslide triggered by continuous heavy rain late on Wednesday night. Personnel from the Disaster Management Response Force, along with local residents, recovered all the bodies on Thursday.
Expressing his sorrow over the incident, Chief Minister Manik Saha announced that the state government would provide ₹4 lakh in financial assistance to each affected family.
Previously, 13 deaths, including that of a 12-year-old girl and a woman, were reported from South Tripura, Gomati, and Khowai districts since Monday, with two individuals still missing.
VIDEO | “Tripura received high rainfall in very little time leading to flood. It is being monitored. Honourable CM (Manik Saha) conducted a meeting today and he keeps on asking for the details and feedback from us every hour. We are working with very close coordination (to handle… pic.twitter.com/Qr1pIaODj5
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 22, 2024
An official stated that around 65,500 people are currently sheltering in 450 relief camps across all eight districts. A total of 17 lakh people have been affected by the floods that have devastated the state since Monday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded 233 mm of rainfall in Agartala between 8:30 a.m. Wednesday and 8:30 a.m. Thursday.
The IMD reported that all eight districts in Tripura experienced some of the heaviest rainfall in recent history over the last 24 hours, with Bogafa in South Tripura district, under the Santirbazar sub-division, recording 493.6 mm of rainfall.
An IMD official mentioned that although a ‘heavy’ to ‘very heavy’ rainfall alert remains in effect and a ‘Red alert’ has been issued across all eight districts, the intensity of the rain is expected to decrease starting Thursday night.
