Three persons were killed and thousands were affected by floods triggered by heavy rain in Manipur’s Imphal valley, officials said on Thursday.

A 34-year-old man was killed and three others were injured in a landslide caused by heavy rain at Thonglang road in Senapati district on Wednesday.

An 83-year-old woman drowned in the overflowing Senapati river, officials said. In Imphal, a 75-year-old man died of electrocution on Wednesday when he came in contact with an electric pole during rain, they said. 

The overflowing Imphal River inundated several areas, with water entering hundreds of houses in Imphal Valley, forcing people to take shelter at nearby community halls, they said.

Flooding was reported from at least 86 areas in Imphal West district, including Khuman Lampak, Nagaram, Sagolband, Uripok, Keisamthong, and Paona areas due to the overflowing Nambul River, they added. 

Due to incessant rainfall, the bank of the Imphal River has been breached near Keirang, Khabam, and Lairiyengbam Leikai areas in the Imphal East district, and water gushed into several areas, inundating hundreds of houses. Several areas in Heingang and Khurai assembly constituencies in Imphal East district have been badly affected, with floodwater at chest level in many parts, an official said. 

A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) arrived in Imphal by a special Air Force flight around 10 pm on Wednesday to lead the rescue operations, officials said.

Government of Manipur has declared May 30 and May 31 as public holidays for all government offices, including Public Sector Undertakings, Corporations, and Autonomous Bodies/Societies under its jurisdiction. This directive also applies to all banks, financial institutions, and LIC offices in the state. The decision, sanctioned by the Governor, is in response to the incessant rainfall brought by Cyclone Remal, which has resulted in widespread flooding in Imphal West, Imphal East, Kangpokpi, Senapati, and Bishnupur districts.

The persistent rains have caused severe inundation in various areas, prompting the state government to initiate extensive rescue and relief operations through district administrations and relevant departments. Authorities are urging the public to remain indoors and avoid non-essential travel to facilitate these efforts. Citizens stranded in floodwaters can contact helpline numbers provided by their respective Deputy Commissioners. Additionally, centralised emergency helplines (09233522822, 09485280461, 0385-2440028, 06909525816, 0385-2912006) have been activated, involving civil, police, and security forces.

While schools and colleges are also affected, with separate closure orders issued on May 29, 2024, essential service departments, including Home, Police, District Administration, Relief & Disaster Management, Power, Health & Family Welfare, PHE, Water Resources, PWD, GAD, CAF&PD, MI, Forests, and LDA, will remain operational. Officers and employees from other departments are expected to be on call to address any emergencies.

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