Cyclone Remal impact: Heavy rain and thunderstorms caused by Cyclone Remal have left at least 37 people dead in northeastern states, including Mizoram, with dozens still missing. Hundreds sought refuge in relief camps as the rain destroyed homes and knocked down power lines. Mizoram is the worst-hit state in the region.
In Mizoram‘s capital Aizwal, Cyclone Remal has claimed the lives of 27 people in the Melthum, Hlimen, Falkawn, and Salem Veng areas, according to a state government release on Tuesday. Relief teams have recovered 27 bodies so far, and the death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue operations continue.
Chief Minister Lalduhoma has announced a State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) of ₹15 crore and ₹4 lakh as ex gratia for the deceased.
In Assam, officials confirmed that heavy rainfall and strong winds resulted in the deaths of four people and injuries to 18 others. In Sonitpur district, a tree fell on a school bus, injuring 12 children who were subsequently admitted to a local hospital.
In Nagaland, heavy rain from Cyclone Remal claimed four lives and damaged over 40 houses, state authorities confirmed on Tuesday. The NDRF deployed an underwater drone to aid in search operations a day after the cyclone made landfall. Strong winds caused multiple houses and trees to collapse, complicating rescue efforts in the hardest-hit areas.
Meghalaya also suffered from the cyclone’s aftermath, with two deaths and over 500 injuries reported. One death occurred in East Jaintia Hills and another in a car accident in East Khasi Hills district. This brings the total death toll in northeastern states to 37.
In Tripura, although no casualties were reported, the state government confirmed that heavy rains forced 746 people from 246 families to seek shelter in relief camps.
The cyclone made landfall in Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal on Sunday around midnight, with wind speeds reaching up to 135 kmph. The storm left lakhs without power in both India and West Bengal on Monday due to disrupted power lines.