Shillong, Jul 21 (PTI) Five persons have died in floods in western Garo Hills region of Meghalaya and 1.52 lakh people have been affected, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Tuesday.

He also announced Rs 4 lakh ex gratia to the next of kin of the deceased.

Also Read | Night Curfew From 9 pm to 5 am Will Continue in Karnataka, Says State Govt: Live News Breaking and Coronavirus Updates on July 21, 2020.

The deceased include a woman and four children.

"Saddened to see 5 lives lost because of the floods in #GaroHills. Government has released an ex gratia amount of Rs 4 Lakhs each to the next of kin of the deceased. We are doing everything to ensure the safety of our citizens during this time. Our condolences to the bereaved families,” Sangma said in his social media posts.

Also Read | OnePlus' India R&D Team Key Contributor in Developing OnePlus Nord Smartphone: Report.

According to district officials in West Garo Hills, floods have ravaged the low lying areas in at least three development blocks.

Over 1.5 lakh people have been affected by the flood caused by the backflow of the Brahmaputra river, causing its tributary, Jinjiram river, to swell up.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the chief minister and assured all support in dealing with the flood situation in the state.

Shah also condoled the death of people due to floods in West Garo hills of the state.

"Loss of lives due to the floods in West Garo Hills, Meghalaya is very disturbing. I have spoken to the Chief Minister, Shri @SangmaConrad and assured him all possible help from the Central government. Nation stands resolutely with the people of Meghalaya in these trying times," Shah said in a tweet.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)