Mizoram is the worst affected, with 27 deaths reported from four landslides. Parts of Assam, Meghalaya, and Mizoram remain without power.
Cyclone Remal triggered storms and rainfall-induced landslides on Tuesday, killing at least 31 people and injuring several others across three northeastern states.
Mizoram was the hardest hit, with 27 confirmed deaths from four landslides. State officials warned the death toll could exceed 30, as an “uncertain number” of people remain missing, some buried under debris.
In Assam, there were three storm-related fatalities, with one each reported in Kamrup, Kamrup (Metropolitan), and Morigaon districts. Meghalaya also suffered a casualty in East Jaintia Hills, where heavy rainfall caused a wall to collapse, killing one person.
Disaster management officials in the three states reported that rains, accompanied by winds reaching speeds of up to 60 km per hour, uprooted trees and electric poles, triggered landslides, and disrupted power and internet services. Parts of Assam, Meghalaya, and Mizoram have been without power since Monday midnight.
Stone Quarry Collapse
A Mizoram government report from the District Disaster Management Authorities stated that 14 people, including two minors, were killed and one injured when a stone quarry collapsed on National Highway 6, near Melthum close to the capital Aizawl. Additionally, landslides in Hlimen, Salem, Falkawn, Aibawk, Lungsei, and Kelsih in and around Aizawl resulted in 13 more deaths.
Eight people were reported missing from the stone quarry collapse site, with additional individuals missing in other parts of the state, according to officials.
Aizawl and its surrounding areas are prone to landslides, with several locations designated as sinking zones.
Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma announced an ex gratia payment of ₹4 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased locals. “We have allocated ₹15 crore to address the disasters caused by the cyclone-induced rains,” he stated.
State Home Minister K. Sapdanga stated that fiscal relief would not be provided to the families of at least four non-locals who died at the stone quarry. He also announced that the government has ordered the closure of all educational institutions and government offices, except those providing essential services.
Students Injured
In addition to three fatalities, storms in 14 districts of Assam injured 17 people. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, a falling tree branch struck a school bus in Dhekiajuli, Sonitpur district, injuring 12 students. Five more individuals were injured in various incidents in Morigaon.
The Meghalaya State Disaster Management Authority reported that four people were injured in a landslide in the East Khasi Hills district.
Assam Chief Minister Mourns Deaths
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed his condolences for the deaths while campaigning for the BJP in Odisha. He instructed state officials to provide all necessary assistance to affected families and ensure timely treatment for the injured.
A statement from the Chief Minister’s Office reported the death of a worker at the 2000 MW hydroelectric project of the NHPC at Gerukamukh on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border. The deceased, identified as Putul Gogoi, was said to have died due to a landslide at the project site.
NHPC officials confirmed the death but clarified that it was unrelated to cyclone Remal. “The man died due to an accident on May 27,” a corporation spokesperson stated.
India Meteorological Department Red Alert
The India Meteorological Department issued a red alert for eight districts in Assam, four in Meghalaya, and three in Tripura. The significant rainfall in the last 48 hours brought relief from the intense heatwave-like conditions experienced across the region last week, with temperatures surpassing 40 degrees Celsius.
In Manipur, heavy rainfall and landslides caused damage to essential highways, residences, and other infrastructure in the Churachandpur, Senapati, Imphal East, and Ukhrul districts.