- NET Web Desk
The number of Assam residents killed in the massive landslide in Manipur’s Noney district last month has reached 15, with the recovery of two more bodies.
Another six people from Assam are still missing; informed an official.
Bodies of two persons from Morigaon district, who were engaged as labourers at the Tupul railway yard construction site when the landslide occurred, were pulled-out from under the rubble on Monday, he said.
“The bodies are in a decomposed condition, and the Manipur government is yet to decide whether these will be sent here or not,” the official said.
Four more persons from the district are still missing with multiple agencies continuing the search operation at the site, he said.
According to a Manipur government official, the toll in the landslide at the railway construction site rose to 53 as three more bodies were found on Monday, and two of the three bodies were labourers from Assam.
The Water Resource and Relief & Disaster Management Minister – Awangbow Newmai, who have been continuously monitoring and supervising the concerted efforts from ground zero of the landslide-ravaged site in Noney, on Monday noted that the death toll now rose to 53, after the recovery of 3 more bodies on Monday.
He further mentioned that the rescue operations will continue for three more days.
The Assam Chief Minister – Himanta Biswa Sarma recently issued a list of 22 names, who were engaged at the railway construction site. Of these, 21 individuals hailed from Morigaon, and were engaged at the landslide site hailed from Morigaon and had gone to work as staff of the construction company about 20 days back.
The body of a railway engineer from Assam was cremated at his native village on July 11.
Out of these 15 Assam residents lost their lives in the landslide, 12 labourers were from Morigaon, while the engineer was from Dhubri. A Territorial Army (TA) jawan from Bajali and another person from Nalbari were also among the deceased from the state. Five persons from Assam were rescued alive and have returned to their homes in Morigaon.
Its worthy to note that this massive landslide had struck the company location of 107 Territorial Army of Indian Army deployed near Tupul Railway Station for protection of under construction railway line from Jiribam to Imphal.
Meanwhile, the Manipur Chief Minister – N. Biren Singh earlier referred the catastrophe as “worst incident in the history of Manipur”.
“Bulldozers and other engineering equipment are being used to make the incident site accessible and assist in the rescue efforts. A Thorough Wall Radar from Ladakh is also being inducted by air to detect the presence of personnel buried in the debris. A search-and-rescue dog is also being inducted,” – informed an official release.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indian Army, Assam Rifles, State Government teams, TA personnel, and Railways workers are involved into rescue operations at the landslide-hit Tupul station building.
The landslide debris had also obstructed the Ezei River, which flows through Tamenglong & Noney Districts of Manipur.
