People try to pull a car out of a flooded river in Manipur's Thoubal district
20 people have died in landslide caused by heavy rain in the Joumol village in Manipur's Chandel district, Deputy Commissioner Robert Khetrimayum said.
"Rescue teams are being sent to Juomol at the earliest and will reach by tomorrow morning because of heavy rains and landslides. The government is trying to mount relief operations as effectively as possible," Chandel lawmaker Victor Nunghlung told NDTV.
What is also hampering rescue operations in the area is the damage to crucial bridges in Chandel, including one that connects Chandel town to the Juomol village. The Manipur govt says the only other route to the village is through Myanmar. This morning, choppers were spotted by local residents in the area, suggesting that the government is trying to mount air rescue and relief operations.
The state has been witnessing incessant rain over the last few days which has washed away bridges and national highways besides rendering thousands of people homeless. Low-lying areas in capital Imphal and its outskirts have been inundated.
Several rivers are flowing above the danger mark and the residents have been moved to relief camps set up with the help of local MLAs.
Angry locals, however, allege that the state government has not done enough to help those affected by the floods.