Six dead after floods and landslides in northeast India

Senior government official Gopinath Raha said floods from the Teesta River had also washed away roads and bridges, leaving over 1,500 people temporarily stranded.

“The water level of the Teesta river exceeded the danger mark on Thursday morning, causing severe damage to roads and disrupting traffic,” he told AFP.

“More than 100 vehicles were hit at different places in northern Sikkim.”

Mangan district police chief Sonam Dichu told AFP that parts of the north of the state were “cut off from the rest of the country”.

“Many houses were washed away,” he added.

The Sikkim state disaster management agency said rescue operations were underway, but damage to the local mobile phone network was hampering relief efforts.

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang said his government was working to “provide all possible support to the victims and affected families.”

Last year’s flash floods along the river were caused by a glacial lake bursting its banks, causing severe damage to roads and bridges across the state.

Large parts of northern India have been hit by repeated heat waves since the end of April. Hot weather is forecast for the capital New Delhi and other major cities for several days.

Prayagraj in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh recorded a maximum temperature of 47.1 degrees Celsius (116 degrees Fahrenheit), India’s meteorological department said on Wednesday.

The ministry warned on Wednesday of the “high probability” of heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.

“People at risk need extreme care,” it said in a statement.

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