Heavy rains lash Meghalaya; minor dead in Ri Bhoi district

Heavy rains lashed Meghalaya on Friday, causing landslides in different areas with most rivers flowing above the danger mark, officials said.
The rains, which began on Thursday night, caused landslides in different parts of the state, leading to traffic disruptions, they said.
Work is underway to clear the debris, they added.
The heavy rains, caused by moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal, will continue for the next 24 hours, the weather office said.
People were advised to stay away from vulnerable areas that are prone to landslides, officials said.
Mawsynram town in East Khasi Hills district recorded 483.2 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours.
Sohra received 104 mm rainfall, while Shillong and Mawkyrwat received 111.5 mm and 184 mm rainfall, respectively.
Tree falls on auto rickshaw, kills minor
In an unfortunate incident at Ri Bhoi District in Meghalaya today, a huge uprooted tree fell on an auto rickshaw at Panitola in Byrnihat. A minor who was on board the auto rickshaw lost his life in this incident while two others sustained injuries, reports Northeast Live.
As per reports, the incident occurred while the auto-rickshaw was on its way to Byrnihat, boarded by 2 passengers when suddenly a huge tree fell on the vehicle. Meanwhile, Byrnihat Police on receiving the information, immediately rushed to the spot and shifted the dead body and took the injured to Byrnihat Primary Health Care for treatment.
It may be mentioned here that the Ri Bhoi District is experiencing incessant rainfall due to monsoon.
Moreover, the heavy downpour has made plying on the roads a risky business. The rain has made plying on the roads slippery. At Umroi Bypass today a Bolero pickup skidded of the road before crashing head-on onto an oncoming bus.
The Heavy downpour has also inundated parts of Smit, a village in East Khasi, on the other hand, Nongstoin in West Khasi Hills and Ranikor in South West Khasi Hills are also flooded with water gushing through the steets and bye lanes.
Even the State capital, Shillong is being swamped in water with cars and commuters alike finding it very difficult to manoeuvre.