By Mubasshir Mushtaq
NEW DELHI
22 people have been killed in landslides and floods after two days of incessant rains in two of India's northeastern states, Indian media reported on Tuesday.
According to state officials, 17 people have died in the hilly state of Meghalaya while five were killed in Guwahati, the capital of the Assam state.
The death toll is likely to increase as hundreds of relief and rescue workers continue to work in search and rescue missions in the low-lying areas.
Eleven teams of the National Disaster Response Force, a federal agency, have deployed 550 personnel to perform rescue operations.
More than 90 affected villages in Meghalaya and Assam have been submerged in water as India's meteorological department predicts more rains in the next 36 hours.
At least 150,000 people have been asked to move to higher ground and vacate their homes in the Assam state alone, according to a report by the Associated Press.
Earlier in September, over 450 people died in flooding in Indian and Pakistani-held Kashmir.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday directed state officials to help people trapped in water-clogged villages.
Control rooms and special assistance help line numbers have been set up to coordinate rescue efforts.
Assam, the tea-growing state, recorded 108mm rainfall on Monday.
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