At least four deaths and damage to more than 40 houses have been reported in Nagaland in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal, a senior official said.

A seven-year-old boy drowned at Laruri village under Meluri subdivision following heavy rainfall under the impact of the cyclone, while two other drowning incidents were reported from Doyang Dam in Wokha district on Monday, he said.

In Phek district’s Rekizu ward, an elderly man was crushed to death after a wall collapsed, the official said.

The Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) has received reports of extensive damage to houses and properties from across the state, including Chuchuyimlang village in Mokokchung district, Noksen subdivision under Tuensang district and Awotsakili village in Zunheboto district, he said.

Personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed for the rescue and relief operation.

“For the first time in the history of the state, an underwater drone was pressed into service by the NSDMA for the search operation,” the official said. The incessant rain also caused mudslides in Kikruma village in Phek district on Tuesday, he added.

Cyclone Remal pummelled the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh, making landfall around midnight of Sunday, with devastating wind speeds.