4 dead in Assam Thunderstorm, over 50,000 affected

GUWAHATI-   At least  Four persons have been killed and over 50,000 affected after a thunderstorm wreaked havoc in Assam, officials said on Monday. According to a state bulletin, the storm affected across 919 villages in 22 districts, causing damage to 14,633 houses and over 10 hectares of cropland.

The storm, accompanied by heavy rainfall, swept through various parts of the state on Sunday evening, causing widespread destruction by uprooting trees, and electric poles, and damaging homes, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) CEO Gyanendra Dev Tripathi told PTI.

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Among the casualties, a woman named Sakhi Begum Laskar (30) from Sonai, Cachar, lost her life amid the storm, as confirmed by the ASDMA. Additionally, incidents of lightning claimed the lives of Pintu Chauhan (17) from Donka in West Karbi Anglong and Ruparam Basumatary (46) from Mazbat in Udalguri.

Six others sustained injuries from lightning strikes and were rushed to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for treatment.

Furthermore, the loss of livestock was recorded, with three cows perishing. The storm’s impact extended to various infrastructures such as huts, schools, shops, and Anganwadi centers, with numerous vehicles damaged due to fallen trees.

An official confirmed that hundreds of visitors were struck inside Garbhanga Reserve Forest near Guwahati till the early hours as uprooted trees blocked the entire road.

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“The SDRF and district administration carried out rescue operations till around 3 am and cleared the road. Hundreds of people were visiting the forest as it was a Sunday,” Tripathi said.

Due to uprooted trees and electric poles, many roads remained blocked until this morning, making it extremely difficult for people to get to their destinations.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached out to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to assess the situation and assured full support. Similar conversations were held with the chief ministers of West Bengal and Manipur, offering assistance to address the severe losses incurred by the storms.

Shah also appealed to the BJP workers in these three states to provide all possible help to the affected people during this distress.

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Sarma stated, “His assurance of full support and assistance for relief and rehabilitation on behalf of the Govt of India is deeply appreciated.” The Chief Minister’s Office wrote on X that  Sarma was continuously observing the effects of strong storms and rains, and the State Emergency Operation Center was in constant communication with all district administrations.

The storm also damaged the Guwahati airport’s terminal building, resulting in a temporary halt to operations and the diversion of six flights to alternative locations.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted continued rainfall and thunderstorm activity in Northeast India until April 7. On Sunday, the IMD issued an ‘Orange Alert’, predicting “heavy to very heavy” rainfall across several northeastern states over the next five days.