Over 500,000 people affected by floods in Himalayan region (VIDEOS)

Heavy floods in the Himalayan region of India have caused at least 36 deaths and affected more than 500,000 people, the authorities and media said on Monday.

Landslides, floods, and lightning storms have hit the northeastern region, media said. The authorities reported that more than a thousand tourists trapped in the state of Sikkim were evacuated on Monday.

Army rescue teams saved around 500 people stranded in flooded areas in the state of Meghalaya, Reuters reported. Persistent heavy rainfall in several regions has caused transport disruptions, including road, rail, and ferry services.

Three army personnel were killed and nine others went missing after a landslide struck a military camp in Chhaten in Sikkim on Sunday, Hindustan Times reported.

The state of Assam has reported the highest number of fatalities, as well as 15 rivers rising above the danger mark, according to the Times of India. “We are facing a lot of challenges. I have a child, their bed is submerged in water. What will we do in such a situation? We keep ourselves awake throughout the night,” ANI quoted Silchar resident Sonu Devi as saying. 

In the northeastern state of Manipur, over 19,000 people have been impacted by floods after several rivers overflowed and embankments were breached due to heavy rainfall over the past four days.

The death toll from floods and landslides in Arunachal Pradesh has risen to ten, and in Mizoram, mudslides have caused the blockage of 212 roads, according to an official bulletin cited by AP. At least five people have died due to landslides, house collapses, and other rain-related incidents in Mizoram, including three Myanmarese refugees, according to a Hindustan Times report.