Severe flooding and landslides caused by heavy rainfall in India's northeastern state of Meghalaya have resulted in at least 10 fatalities and significant disruption in West Garo Hills and South Garo Hills districts. The most tragic incident occurred in the remote village of Hatiasia Songma, where a landslide buried a family of seven, including three children, under debris, according to local authorities.

Rescue teams are still working to recover the bodies, Indian state owned DD News reported.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma announced that immediate financial assistance would be provided to the victims’ families, highlighting his "deep grief" over the situation. He has also directed officials to find ways to restore road access, which has been severely compromised by the landslides, particularly in the Gasuapara region, where a bridge collapsed due to the downpour. Intense rainfall has triggered multiple landslides, cutting off several key routes between Dalu and Baghmara, worsening transportation issues in the affected areas.

The Chief Minister also emphasised the need to replace existing wooden bridges in the state with more robust structures to mitigate future damages, suggesting the use of bailey bridge technology for quick and effective repairs.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed to the most affected areas to assist with search and rescue operations. District authorities remain on high alert as the state government closely monitors the situation. So far, the estimated damage to infrastructure and loss of property is expected to be significant, adding to the humanitarian toll of the disaster.