GUWAHATI: Two youths were buried alive by a landslide triggered by heavy overnight rainfall in the 12th Mile area of Jorabat early Sunday morning, official sources informed.
According to reports, the deceased, identified as Bilash Pradhan (19) and Mohan Ghimire (20), were sleeping when large chunks of rock and soil came down rolling, damaging a portion of the house and trapping the duo in the wee hours.
Another youth, trapped inside the same house, was however rescued by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), reports said.
Meanwhile, traffic had to be diverted on one track of national highway 37 at 11th Mile near NRL petrol pump on Sunday morning as a precautionary measure after another landslide affected communication in the area.
Police sources informed that the landslide occurred due to heavy rainfall and that concerned agencies were on the job to clear the affected portion of the highway.
With the two casualties, the overall landslide-related death toll in the state this monsoon season has gone up to 26.
It may be mentioned that landslides have affected several areas of Kamrup Metro district this season.
Two deaths were reported during the last week of June with a 21-year-old girl buried alive by a mound of earth at her residence in the Kharghuli area while a 72-year-old woman succumbed to head injuries after a landslide damaged a part of her Kahilipara residence.
The Kamrup Metro district administration subsequently appealed to residents of vulnerable areas of the district to vacate their houses and shift to safer places till the monsoon season was over, as a precautionary measure against rain-triggered landslides.
