Four killed in twin Guwahati landslides, safety fears rise in 366 vulnerable zones

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Four people, including three members of a family, died in two separate landslide incidents in Guwahati on Tuesday following incessant rainfall.

At Mathgharia under Noonmati Police Station, a landslide struck a house near Lakshmi Mandir at Nizarapar around 8.30 am. Earth, trees and debris from a hill collapsed onto the house roofed with CI sheets while the family members were inside, trapping them beneath the rubble.

The deceased were identified as Nagen Rajbongshi (50), his wife Sonu Rajbongshi (38), and their 11-year-old daughter Meena Rajbongshi, also known as Karabi. Their 19-year-old son, Biplab Rajbongshi, was rescued. He sustained injuries.

The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), along with police and local residents, recovered the bodies from beneath the debris.

A local resident said, "We dug with our hands and pulled out the bodies. They had been buried for almost an hour."

Speaking to the media, Biplab Rajbongshi said, "I woke up around 6 am but went back to sleep. After some time, I felt the ground moving. The landslide suffocated them. My brother-in-law and my neighbours came to rescue me."

In another incident, a woman identified as 65-year-old P Sumitra, a resident of Visakhapatnam, died after a massive rock reportedly rolled down during a landslide. The incident occurred when P. Sumitra came to her son's residence at Taltala No. 1 Kalitakuchi in Satgaon. Sumitra's body was later taken to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).

The back-to-back incidents renewed concerns over the safety of residents living in landslide-prone parts of Guwahati. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) and the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), 366 locations in Guwahati have been officially identified as landslide-prone areas.

Residents have repeatedly raised concerns over the vulnerability of such areas, particularly during periods of heavy rainfall. Although authorities have issued notices to residents in some vulnerable locations, questions have continued over the implementation of measures to address the risks.

The latest incidents have once again highlighted the need for effective action in areas vulnerable to landslides following prolonged and heavy rainfall.

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