Death count in landslide rises to 42
GUWAHATI/IMPHAL, July 3 (PTI): The death toll in the landslide at a railway construction site in Manipur’s Noney district rose to 42 on Sunday evening as eight more bodies were found from under the debris, officials said.
Twenty people are still missing with heavy rains and fresh landslides impeding the search operations since Saturday, he said.
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Bodies of 42 people have been found so far from under the debris at Tupul yard railway construction camp. Among them are 27 Territorial Army personnel and 15 civilians, including railway employees, construction workers and villagers, a defence spokesperson in Guwahati said.
The Territorial Army is deployed in the area to provide security for the railway construction work.
“Relentless effort to find the remaining three missing Territorial Army personnel, and 17 civilians will continue,” he said.
The Army, Assam Rifles, Territorial Army, SDRF and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are part of the search operation.
“The search operation is continuing despite adverse weather conditions, owing to heavy rains and fresh landslides last night,” the spokesperson said.
So far, 13 Territorial Army personnel and five civilians have been rescued.
Through Wall Imaging Radar (TWIR) technology is being used to find the missing persons under the debris. A search and rescue dog has also been brought in to assist the efforts, the official said.
A massive landslide hit the railway construction site on Wednesday night. Construction was underway in the area for the 110-km Jiribam to Imphal line under a project to connect the capitals of eight Northeastern states to the country’s railway network, officials said.
The debris blocked the Ijei River below, creating a reservoir that threatens to inundate the low-lying areas. At present, work is underway to clear the debris to let the water flow out, they said.
Bodies of seven Territorial Army personnel were sent to their hometowns – Kolkata and Bagdogra in West Bengal, and Agartala in Tripura – on Sunday, the spokesperson said.
Full military honours were given to them at Imphal, he said.
Bodies of four workers of Assam reach native village
MORIGAON, July 3 (PTI): The bodies of four persons from Assam’s Morigaon district who were among those killed in a landslide at a railway construction site in Manipur reached their native place on Sunday.
Officials of Morigaon district administration paid their last respects to the deceased before the last rites were performed.
All the four bodies were cremated in Lahorighat area, from where the deceased hailed.
Gopal Phukan, Haramohan Deka, Pallab Laran and Dipankar Bordoloi were among the eight persons from Assam who have been confirmed killed in the landslide in Noney district of the neighbouring state on Wednesday night.
Morigaon deputy commissioner PR Gharphalia had said earlier that five persons from the district, all engaged as workers at the construction site, have been confirmed killed so far.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had on Friday shared a list of 22 names from Morigaon district who were engaged at the railway construction site. Out of these, five were rescued in injured condition, five confirmed dead and 12 others are still to be traced.
An army jawan hailing from Bajali district was also among those killed and his mortal remains reached his native village on Saturday, where the last rites were performed.
Twelve others from the state, including a railway engineer, are still missing.
The total death toll in the landslide has reached 42, while search operations are still on to locate 20 others.
Meanwhile, Assam Cabinet minister Pijush Hazarika, who has been camping in Manipur since Saturday, called on the injured persons from the state there on Sunday.
He met the three injured persons from Assam who are undergoing treatment at Regional Institute of Medical Science, Imphal.
Two others were also rescued from under the debris and have already been discharged after treatment.
“As per directions of HCM Dr.@himantabiswa sir, today I visited @ImphalRims to take stock of the health conditions of 3 rescued victims out of 5 (all from Assam) from the massive landslide incident at Tupul, Manipur who are still undergoing treatment at the institute,” Hazarika Tweeted.
He added that as the health condition of all the injured is now stable, arrangements have been made for their return to Assam on Monday by flight.
