After leaving trails of destruction in West Bengal, Cyclone Remal wreaks havoc in North East

Cyclone Remal, which caused widespread destruction in parts of West Bengal, has now entered the North East with rains lashing in Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Manipur.

In West Bengal, the cyclone has killed six people and damaged 29,500 houses.

Cyclone Remal is the first of the frequent storms expected to pound the low-lying coasts of the South Asian neighbours this year as climate change drives up surface temperatures at sea.

Packing speeds of up to 135 kph, it crossed the area around Bangladesh’s southern port of Mongla and the adjoining Sagar Islands in India’s West Bengal late on Sunday, weather officials said, making landfall at about 9 pm.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday announced the death of a 17-year-old student after a tree fell on him and others in the town of Marigaon due to gusty winds.

The inclement weather conditions have also disrupted power supply in lower Assam including the capital city of Guwahati.

#WATCH | Assam: Severe waterlogging witnessed in Silchar of Assam's Cachar district following heavy rainfall. pic.twitter.com/7gn8UkM16t

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2024

“Incessant rains and stormy winds have caused landslides in Kapircherrra (NH-27, Haflong to Silchar) and ThereBasati (Umrangso-Dehangi Road). Traffic is disrupted and restricted. A BSNL tower in Haflong is badly damaged, and evacuation efforts are underway,” Biswa said in a post on X.

In Mizoram, at least 14 people have died and several others have gone missing after a stone quarry collapsed in Aizawl district owing to incessant rains. The incident took place around 6 am in an area between Melthum and Hlimen on the southern outskirts of Aizawl town.

STORY | 10 dead, several missing as stone quarry collapses in Mizoram amid rains

READ: https://t.co/3q7ZQlauvz

VIDEO:

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/dv5TRAShcC) pic.twitter.com/iYVVMBiUnS

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 28, 2024

The Meghalaya government has announced the closure of schools due to heavy rains caused by Cyclone Remal. The State Disaster Management Authority said that extremely heavy rainfall and squally wind with 40-50 kmph of speed, gusting to 60 kmph, is very likely to occur at isolated places over East Jaintia, East Khasi, South West Khasi, West Jaintia, West Khasi hills districts in next 24 hours, and hence citizens are requested to be cautious.

Meanwhile, incessant heavy rainfall inundated several areas of Manipur on Tuesday affecting normal life.

With inputs from agencies