42 dead as floods hit India’s Assam, Meghalaya

At least 42 people have died after floods hit India’s northeastern states of Assam and Meghalaya.

Nearly four million people have been affected in both the states, broadcaster NDTV reports. 

Assam has been reeling under devastating floods with 32 of the state's 33 districts now inundated. Eight people have died in the last 24 hours.

At least 3 million people have been hit by the floods in the state's 32 districts. Over 4,000 villages have been affected, officials said. Lower Assam has been one of the worst-hit, with five major rivers flowing above danger level.

"The situation is very bad. We are trying hard to help the people. Temporary bridges are being built in flood-affected districts to reach the people," Assam's Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika said.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and assured all possible help from the central government to the disaster-hit state.

Twenty-four people have died in landslides and flash floods in Assam this week. Altogether, 62 people have lost lives since April, according to official reports.

At least 500,000 people have been affected in neighbouring Meghalaya, where two major national highways remain cut off due to heavy damage due to landslides.

The Sohra region of Meghalaya's Cherrapunji recorded the highest rainfall for the third time on Friday. The Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama of Sohra also recorded its highest ever rainfall since 1998, according to reports.

At least 18 people have died in the state this week alone. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has announced a compensation of 400,000 Indian rupees to the family of each of the deceased.

Over 10,000 people have been rendered homeless in Tripura due to inundation caused by incessant rainfall since Friday, but there is no report of any human casualty, the news agency PTI reported quoting an official.

The Tripura government has urged the central government to send essential supplies via Bangladesh as the road links to the state are cut off due to landslides. Heavy rain is also predicted for Sikkim.