Farmer swept away by Barak River in Senapati

IMPHAL — A farmer was swept away by the surging waters of Barak River in Manipur’s Senapati district on Tuesday, following days of incessant rainfall across the state.

The victim, identified as 50-year-old Athisii Athikho from Khongnem Thana village, was reportedly crossing a hanging bridge on his way to the paddy field between 9 and 9.30 am when he was caught by the strong current and washed away, officials said.

Senapati district police, in coordination with local villagers, have launched a search and rescue operation. However, the victim remains missing as of the latest update. Search operations are still underway, according to residents.

Also read: No flood respite in Imphal valley

Locals reported that Barak River has swollen rapidly over the past week due to continuous rainfall in the region.

According to the daily weather report from the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, all districts except Churachandpur and Noney received substantial rainfall on Monday. Tamenglong recorded the highest rainfall at 102.2 mm, followed by Senapati with 45.5 mm.

It may be recalled that a recent flood—triggered by breaches and overflows of riverbanks since May 31—lasted for about a week and claimed four lives, including three children.

As per official reports, the flood affected approximately 1,65,943 people and caused damage to at least 35,429 houses and 76 public infrastructures across 708 localities.