The death toll in multiple landslides in Mizoram’s Aizawl district climbed to 29 after two more bodies were recovered from two locations today. Aizawl Superintendent of Police (SP) Rahool Alwal said that one body each has been recovered from the debris at Melthum and Hlimen areas, both on the southern outskirts of Aizawl.
Of the 29 victims, 23 are Mizoram residents while five people are from Jharkhand and one from Assam’s Silchar town, according to Alwal.
Aizawl Deputy Commissioner Nazuk Kumar said that search and rescue operations are still on and will continue till all the missing persons are located. She said that teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, fire department and Quick Response Team (QRT) have been deployed in the search and rescue operations.
The State capital Aizawl was cut off for several hours today from the rest of the country due to a landslide on National Highway-6 at Hunthar in the western part of the city.
The Mizoram government has ordered the closure of all offices and PSU units in view of the inclement weather warning issued by the IMD on Cyclone Remal, except those departments involved with disaster management and essential services.
Mizoram Chief Minister, Lalduhoma announced ₹4 lakh ex-gratia for the families of those killed in the stone quarry collapse and calamities caused by rain in other parts of the State.
He said the government has earmarked ₹15 crore to tackle disasters triggered by rains and landslides, which occurred as an after effect of Cyclone Remal.
More than 150 houses have been destroyed, dozens of trees and electric poles were uprooted, several roads were blocked and over 50 dwelling units were submerged across Mizoram in a trail of destruction left by the after effect of cyclone ‘Remal’.
Gin Gangte/Mizoram.
