‘Lost Everything, Only Daughter’s Birthday Balloons Remain’: Assam Woman Breaks Down, Seeks Help In Flood-Ravaged Home
‘Lost Everything, Only Daughter’s Birthday Balloons Remain’: Assam Woman Breaks Down, Seeks Help In Flood-Ravaged Home Reported By, Last Updated: July 28, 2026, 16:37 IST
‘Lost Everything, Only Daughter’s Birthday Balloons Remain’: Assam Woman Breaks Down, Seeks Help In Flood-Ravaged Home Reported By, Last Updated: July 28, 2026, 16:37 IST In a touching moment, Rini Barua offered News18 reporter Nabul Konwar a few damaged yet valuable books from the ruined library to keep with him Rapid Read Rini Barua narrates the tale of destruction. The scale of devastation caused by the recent unprecedented flood fury in Upper Assam is evident from the heartbreaking story of Rini Barua, a resident of Nazira subdivision in Sivasagar district. She recalls how the sudden surge of floodwaters washed away everything her family owned within minutes. “It was July 19, and we were busy preparing for my daughter’s birthday celebration. A traffic police officer on the road in front of our house warned us that something had happened in Nagaland and that floodwaters could arrive at any moment. I never imagined the flood would reach us so quickly. I had just gone inside the house when I heard the gushing sound of the rushing water.
Within moments, the floodwaters swept away our gate. Somehow, my family and I managed to escape to the nearby PWD road," Rini Barua told News18 while cleaning her flood-ravaged home, where stagnant water still covered parts of the floor. Overwhelmed by the destruction, Barua struggled to put her emotions into words as she looked around her damaged home. “There is nothing left in my house today. We’ve lost everything. This flood has left us helpless and hopeless. We have been pushed years behind. It will be extremely difficult to rebuild what we have lost," she said. DECORATED B’DAY BALLOONS REMAIN WITNESSES TO THE FLOOD The balloons that decorated Rini Barua’s house for her daughter’s birthday remain safe and untouched despite the devastating flood which flashed into the house and passed through the ventilations. They are still hanging in place, serving as silent witnesses to the destruction caused by the flood on July 19. Their survival stands in stark contrast to the devastation around them, reminding everyone of the flood’s immense power.
The floodwaters rose as high as the ventilation level of Barua’s ‘Assam Type’ house, leaving almost nothing undamaged. Among the biggest losses was the family’s treasured library, built over decades by her late father-in-law. “Every book in our library has been destroyed. My father-in-law had collected books from across the world, including France, Brazil and Germany. Some were rare collections by foreign authors. After he passed away, I preserved those books as his memory. Now they are all gone," Barua said. The books written by her father-in-law were also damaged in the flood, she added. REPORTER MOVED TO TEARS While reporting from Barua’s home in Nazira, News18 reporter Nabul Konwar was visibly moved by the family’s loss. The emotional moment came when Rini Barua offered him a few damaged yet valuable books from the ruined library to keep with him. Unable to contain his emotions, the reporter broke down on camera. Rini Barua’s story is not an isolated one. Nearly every household in Nazira has suffered similar devastation.
The BriefWire