Assam Flood Tragedy: Class 7 Student Swept Away While Trying To Rescue His Three-Month-Old Puppy
· Free Press Journal
In one of the most heartbreaking stories to emerge from Assam's devastating floods, a 13-year-old boy lost his life while trying to save his beloved pet puppy from rising floodwaters that engulfed his village.
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Hridip Panika, a Class 7 student and the only child of Deepak and Parbati Panika, was swept away by strong flood currents in Bamunpukhuri Tea Estate in Nazira, Sivasagar district, after refusing to leave behind his three-month-old puppy.
The puppy survived. Hridip did not.
A Child's Last Act Of Love
According to his family while they spoke to NDTV, floodwaters began rapidly inundating their home following heavy rainfall and overflowing rivers in Upper Assam.
As the situation worsened, Hridip's father asked him to move to a relative's house for safety. However, the teenager insisted on taking along his three-month-old puppy, named Varun (also reported as Borun), and urged his father to accompany him.
His father briefly went back inside the house to collect important documents. In those few moments, the floodwaters rose dramatically.
Despite desperate attempts by relatives to rescue him, Hridip slipped into the fast-moving current and was swept away.
The family's puppy survived the ordeal and continues to remain with them.
Mother's Emotional Appeal
Struggling to come to terms with the loss of her only child, Hridip's mother has appealed to parents to keep children close during natural disasters and not assume they can navigate dangerous floodwaters alone.
The grieving family has also received financial assistance and support from members of the local community following the tragedy.
Floods Leave Trail Of Destruction
Hridip's death occurred during one of Assam's worst flood spells in recent years.
Triggered by intense monsoon rainfall and a cloudburst in neighbouring Nagaland, rivers across Upper Assam overflowed, inundating villages, tea estates and agricultural land, particularly in Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat districts.
At the peak of the disaster, more than seven lakh people were affected across the state.
As of August 1, the death toll has risen to 82, while nearly 1.93 lakh people remain affected across five districts. Around 13,000 people continue to stay in relief camps as rescue and rehabilitation efforts continue.
Although water levels have started receding in many areas, rivers such as the Dikhow and Dhansiri remain above danger levels at several locations.
Assam Flood Crisis: Himanta Sarma Thanks Gautam Adani For ₹11 Crore SupportRecovery Underway
The Assam government has announced enhanced ex gratia assistance of ₹9 lakh for the families of those who lost their lives, along with a six-month loan repayment moratorium for flood-hit residents in the worst-affected districts.
Rescue teams from the NDRF, SDRF, Army and state agencies continue relief operations while authorities focus on rehabilitation, restoring infrastructure and assessing crop losses.