Assam flood toll climbs to 66 as fresh deaths deepen crisis, 6.5 lakh affected

Assam's flood emergency has turned deadlier, with four more fatalities reported in the last 24 hours, taking the overall death toll to 66, according to the latest figures released by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).

The latest deaths include three from Sivasagar district and one from Charaideo. Of the total fatalities recorded so far, 65 have been linked to general flooding, while one person died due to urban flooding.

Even as rescue and relief operations continue, the scale of the disaster remains staggering. More than 6.54 lakh people spread across 10 districts are still grappling with the impact of the floods.

The affected districts include Golaghat, Charaideo, Kamrup, Hojai, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Sonitpur, Kamrup (Metro) and Nagaon.

Sivasagar continues to bear the brunt of the disaster, with 2,90,777 people affected. Charaideo follows with 1,88,404 affected residents, while Jorhat has reported 1,31,948 people impacted.

Floodwaters have submerged 810 villages across 28 revenue circles, leaving widespread devastation in their wake.

The disaster has also dealt a major blow to agriculture, with nearly 34,970.8 hectares of crop land remaining inundated.

Urban flooding has additionally affected parts of Kamrup and Kamrup (Metro), where 86 people have been impacted across two revenue circles.

The water level in key rivers continues to remain a cause for concern. According to the Central Water Commission, the Dikhou River in Sivasagar and the Dhansiri (South) at Numaligarh are still flowing above the danger mark.

To support displaced families, the state government has operationalised 274 relief facilities, including 90 relief camps and 184 relief distribution centres.

At present, 18,902 people are staying in these camps, including 2,157 children and 187 pregnant or lactating women.

The floods have also damaged critical infrastructure. Authorities have reported damage to 143 roads, largely in Sivasagar, Jorhat and Charaideo districts. Ten embankments have been affected, with seven breaches recorded in Sivasagar alone.

The livestock sector has suffered heavy losses as well. Around 4,54,071 animals have been affected, while 3,021 animals, including poultry, have been washed away by floodwaters.

Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local administration remain engaged in evacuating stranded residents and delivering relief supplies to flood-hit communities.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visited relief camps in Sivasagar and described the flood situation as 'extremely critical'.

He said both the Centre and the Assam government were working together to assist affected families while rescue agencies continued operations across the state.