Assam flood: Parts of Silchar-Bairabi railway track washed away

SILCHAR: Recent rains and flooding in Assam’s Hailakandi district have damaged over 200 metres of railway track on the Silchar (Assam)-Bairabi (Mizoram) broad gauge rail line at Killarbak.
The soil beneath the track has been washed away, leaving the track suspended in the air. As a result, Mizoram has been cut off from the rest of the country in terms of railway connectivity.
Killarbak is located in the southern part of Hailakandi district, near the Assam-Mizoram border, about 60km from Hailakandi town.
Local residents said continuous erosion of the Dhaleshwari embankment at Killarbak over the last several months has worsened the condition of the soil on which the railway track stands. On Saturday night, a large portion of the land under the railway line caved in.
Sources said the area had already been in poor condition for several days, leading to the suspension of rail connectivity between Assam and Mizoram since August 21. Locals said the incident on Saturday night has “added insult to injury”.
According to NF Railway sources, restoring connectivity is a difficult task due to the precarious flow of the Dhaleshwari. Repairs can only begin once the river’s water level recedes.
In addition to the damaged railway track, nearly 50 houses have been swallowed by the river at Killarbak, causing panic and anxiety among local residents.