The death toll in the food hit Garo Hills rose to 15 with five more persons losing their lives as per reports received here today.
Personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) today located two bodies believed to be the occupants of the car that was retrieved yesterday from flood water at Dalu Sonagre junction under Barengapara police station.
The body of a father and that of his son was located by the SDRF today in the morning following a search operation which had commenced since yesterday following the retrieval of a Wagon R bearing registration number WB-06-7718.
The SDRF had first located the body of Bijoy S. Sangma (44) at 10:19 am from the paddy fields. The body of the minor identified as 13-year-old Wian Chigado R. Marak was recovered at approximately 10:48 am, a few meters away from where the body of the father was recovered. Both were residents of Rongkhon Songgital, Tura.
The father-son duo was swept away by floodwaters of Bugai River while attempting to cross a submerged road at Dimapara The father who is a school teacher and his minor son were returning home from school when they encountered a flooded road below the bridge. The father attempted to drive through the floodwaters in his Wagon R but the car was swept away by the strong currents.
In another incident, a mother and daughter died after their house was hit by a massive landslide yesterday night at Gongdop village in East Garo Hills. Amerin K. Marak and her daughter, Manase K. Marak, were asleep in their home when a section of a hill behind their house fell on the house and buried the two alive. The bodies were later pulled out by rescue teams along with villagers today morning.
Another fatality occurred in the Songsak reserve forest area of East Garo Hills when a tree uprooted by a storm fell on the car driven by one Tenseng R. Marak(28). Marak died on the spot while two women relatives who were in the car suffered serious injuries. They have been rushed to Williamnagar Civil Hospital after receiving initial treatment at Songsak Primary Health Centre.
Earlier, ten lives were lost due to landslides in Garo Hills. Seven died in Hatiasia Songma and three in Dalu.
Meanwhile, three bodies were pulled out today from the landslide at Hatiasia Songma village in Gasuapara Block. The victims were among seven family members who were buried alive when a portion of a hill fell on their house on October 4.
Heavy rainfall in the last few days has caused havoc through floods and landslides in various parts of Garo Hills. A number of wooden bridges have been washed away.
Multiple landslides have blocked the crucial Dalu-Baghmara road connecting West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma who held a review meeting yesterday to take stock of the situation has directed the administration to identify alternative routes to restore road communication in Dalu – Baghmara area.
Sangma has also directed that the wooden bridges that have been washed away and damaged should be rebuilt. He has recommended construction of Bailey bridges which is a modular, prefab, truss bridge design that allows quick assembly and easy transportation.
