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EM Bureau
Imphal/Dimapur, June 30 (EMN): At least eight persons were killed and more than 50 went missing after a massive landslide hit Manipur’s Noney district in the early hours of Thursday.
A sub-inspector (SI) posted at Noney told Eastern Mirror over the telephone that out of the eight victims, seven belonged to Territorial Army and one a Railways worker engaged in the construction of the Imphal-Jiribam railway project.
The source added that at least 18 injured persons were rescued during the rescue operations carried out by the Central and state agencies on Thursday.
Another police source informed that the tragic incident took place near the Tupul yard railway construction camp near Makhuam area under Noney police station and the identities of the deceased persons, whose bodies were recovered so far, are yet to be identified.
The National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force personnel, along with Indian army are conducting search and rescue operations at the site of the incident, an official monitoring the rescue operations told this newspaper.
The rescue operation will continue on Friday morning, it was informed.
Sources said that the death toll could increase as about 55 people are still missing.
People have also been advised against travelling along the National Highway 37 due to multiple road blockages caused by landslides. The district administration has also launched several helpline numbers to assist the affected people.
The under construction Tupul station building, track formation and camps of construction workers were damaged as a result of the massive landslide.
Chief Public Relations Officer of Northeast Frontier Railways, Sabyasachi De, in an update, said rescue teams from NDRF, SDRF, state government and the Railways had rushed to the site following the incident and full-scale rescue operations were in progress.
The injured individuals are being treated at Noney army medical unit, while the critically injured are being airlifted using army helicopters. It further mentioned that rescue operations were hampered by fresh landslides and bad weather, however, a concerted effort is underway to rescue the missing individuals.
‘The landslide also struck the company location of 107 Territorial Army of the Indian Army deployed near Tupul Railway Station in Noney district, Manipur, for protection of the under construction railway line from Jiribam to Imphal,’ chief PRO of NE frontier Railways said in a press release.
The landslide also obstructed the course of the Ijei River which flows through Tamenglong and Noney districts.
In an advisory, Noney Deputy Commissioner Haulianlal Guite warned the general public, especially children, against going near the river. If the situation further deteriorates, it would wreak havoc to the low lying areas of Noney district, he added.
Meanwhile, a police officer posted at Noney said that the debris that blocked the Ijei River, creating a dam-like situation, had been cleared and the water flow of the river had returned to normalcy.
So far, 19 people have been rescued and the injured individuals are being medically treated at Noney Army Medical unit. However, bad weather and fresh landslides are affecting the rescue operations. The Army helicopters are also being used to airlift the critically injured, the CPRO said.
Meanwhile, Defence Spokesman Lt. Col. Mohit Vaishnava said the Indian Army on Thursday rescued 13 Territorial Army personnel, who were trapped following the massive landslide in Noney district.
The injured Territorial Army personnel are being treated at the Noney Army Medical unit.
Army helicopters are on stand-by, waiting for the weather to clear, he added.
Manipur govt. announces INR 5 lakh ex-gratia
Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Biren Singh visited the affected site along with Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba on Thursday. He also conveyed deepest condolences and shared grief with the bereaved family members.
He informed that an emergency meeting was held in the morning following the tragic incident and the government had decided to provide an ex-gratia of INR 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and INR 50,000 to the injured persons. He further said that all the expenses, including medical treatment etc. of the injured persons would be borne by the Manipur government.
Meanwhile, in a press release issued by the Raj Bhavan Imphal, Manipur Governor La Ganesan conveyed his deepest condolences to the bereaved family members.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also spoke to N Biren Singh and assured all possible help to rescue the missing people and deal with the situation.
Modi tweeted: "Spoke to Manipur CM N Biren Singh and reviewed the situation due to a tragic landslide. Assured all possible support from the Centre. I pray for the safety of all those affected. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon."
"Spoke to N. Biren Singh and Ashwini Vaishnav in the wake of a landslide near the Tupul railway station in Manipur. Rescue operations are in full swing. A team of NDRF has already reached the spot and joined the rescue operations. Two more teams are on their way to Tupul," tweeted Shah.