Search operations continue for missing persons in landslide hit areas of Aizawl

Aizawl: Rescue and search operations continued for the third day on Thursday to locate missing persons in three landslide-hit areas in Aizawl district, an official said.

Aizawl's Deputy Commissioner Nazuk Kumar told PTI that rescue and search operations began on Thursday morning in Melthum, Hlimen and Aibawk areas.

She said that teams of the Nation Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, fire department and Quick Response Team (QRT) have been deployed for the operations.

They are assisted by volunteers of Young Mizo Association(YMA), she said.

Officials said that around seven people are believed to be still missing.

All government offices and educational institutions opened in Aizawl on Thursday.

At least 27 bodies have been recovered till Wednesday from the debris of landslides triggered by rain as a fallout of cyclone Remal, according to officials.

Although district officials and police stated the death toll to be 29 on Wednesday afternoon, they later made rectifications and expressed apologies citing that wrong information was mistakenly given from Aibawk village, where search for two missing persons is still underway, due to poor mobile network.

They said that 15 bodies have been recovered from a massive landslide at a stone quarry in Melthum area and five from Hlimen, both on the southern outskirts of Aizawl, two persons died in Falkawn village about 15 km from Aizawl and one each in Lungsei and Kelsih villages in Aizawl district died when houses were swept away by landslides.

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma announced Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia for the families of those killed in landslides and other calamities caused by rain in other parts of the state.

He said the government has earmarked Rs 15 crore to tackle disasters triggered by rain, which occurred as an after effect of Cyclone Remal.

According to the state disaster management and rehabilitation department, more than 120 houses, schools and churches have been either damaged or collapsed due to the recent rain, storm and landslides, which occurred as an impact of cyclone Remal that hit Bangladesh and West Bengal on Monday.

In Aizawl town, some cemeteries at Republic Veng, Kanan Veng, Luangmual and Kulikawn have also been swept away by landslides, and over 200 graves were damaged, it said.

About 48 houses have also been submerged by water due to the flooding of Tlawng river at Sairang village about 21 km from Aizawl, the department said.