New Delhi [India] June 2 (ANI): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed grief over the deaths caused by heavy rains and floods in northeastern states, including Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, affecting lakhs of people.

She urged the central and state governments to expedite relief and rescue operations to minimise suffering and called on Congress workers to assist those affected.

https://x.com/priyankagandhi/status/1929372086243643552

In her X post, she wrote, 'The news of deaths due to heavy rains in the northeastern states, including Assam and Arunachal, is extremely sad. Lakhs of people are affected by the floods. May God protect everyone. There is an appeal to the central and state governments to speed up relief and rescue operations so that people have to suffer minimum trouble. I also urge Congress leaders and workers to help the affected people as much as possible.'

Earlier in Assam, five people died due to a landslide. To compensate for the loss, the ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh was given to the kin of the victims, according to Assam Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) flood reports, one person drowned in flood waters in Sribhumi district. At the same time, a child lost his life after drowning in floodwaters in the Cachar district.

The flood situation in the state became critical on Sunday, affecting 3.64 lakh people in 19 districts: Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Hailakandi, Hojai, Kamrup, Dhemaji, Nagaon, Sribhumi, Darrang, Karbi Anglong, Sonitpur, Dima Hasao, Biswanath, Cachar, Sivasagar, Majuli, Golaghat, Tinsukia, Karbi Anglong West.

The ASDMA report says that more than 1 lakh people have been affected in Cachar district, more than 83 thousand in Sribhumi, 62 thousand in Nagaon, 46 thousand in Lakhimpur, 19 thousand in Tinsukia, and 10 thousand in Dibrugarh.

Arunachal Pradesh's CM, Pema Khandu, offered condolences to the families of the people who died due to massive landslides triggered by incessant monsoon rains since the last few days across the state and announced ex gratia worth Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of the deceased.

At least 9 deaths have been reported in the state, seven in East Kameng district and two in Ziro valley.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also assured of every possible help to the flood-affected areas in the northeast region and spoke with the Chief Ministers of Assam, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh and the Governor of Manipur.

'Spoke with the Chief Ministers of Assam, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh and the Governor of Manipur in the wake of ongoing heavy rainfall in their states. Also, I assured them of every possible help in tackling any situation. The Modi government stands like a rock in support of the people of the Northeast,' Shah posted on X.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on May 30 that as the depression over Bangladesh is likely to move nearly north-northeastwards and weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area during the next 12 hours, warning of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall to continue in various regions.

For the next few days, IMD has forecast that rains are likely to occur in most regions of the northeast until June 5, with no large change in maximum temperature in various areas.

Thunderstorm and lightning warnings over isolated places in Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura have been issued by the IMD till June 4, with heavy rainfall also expected over Arunachal, Assam, and Meghalaya (ANI)