Landslides in a stone quarry due to the cyclone Remal aftermath and heavy rains in Aizawl, Mizoram.
On May 28th, a day after 25 bodies were recovered from debris caused by massive landslides due to non-stop rainfall throughout Mizoram, rescue operations continued on May 29th to find other missing persons according to official report.
“Early morning rescue operations have begun at numerous sites including an abandoned stone quarry where several houses collapsed on Tuesday morning,” reads the morning bulletin of the Mizoram State Disaster Management Authority (MSDMA) regarding the search for lost individuals.
The state capital which witnessed landslides leaving it virtually cut off from rest of the country for hours bearing devastating impacts of calamities suffered most deaths while many people went missing mainly due to landsliding.
In an area between Melthum and Hlimen located at southern outskirts of Aizawl town at least 14 adults including two minors died while about eight others are still unaccounted for as a result of houses collapse caused by massive landslide near stone quarries.
According to MSDMA, “Search and rescue operations are ongoing. Twenty-five personnel from 3rd MAP, twenty-two personnel from 1st MAP and ten personnel from 5th IR battalion have been deployed there,” says MSDMA report.
A number of houses and worker camps crumbled down with twenty-two people getting buried under the debris following the landmass collapse. Some of them include a four-year-old boy as well as six-year-old girl among others who were killed during this tragedy though they are not alive anymore.
“The weather is so far comfortable with no rain since morning. We hope to continue the operations without any hindrance by nature although it is cloudy now,” said an official of the MSDMA told PTI.
Nazuk Kumar, Deputy Commissioner Aizawl stated that search operation will go on until all areas affected are completely cleared.
In the morning bulletin, it is reported that rescue teams are still operating at Hlimen in Aizawl district where only five survivors have been retrieved so far and four others are still to be found.
The collapse of a building in Aizawl’s Salem Veng because of landslide resulted in the disappearance of three persons who were later on recovered on Tuesday.
Falkawn, Lungsei and Kelsih of Aizawl district experienced death of one person each resulting from landslides that buried their houses.
A massive landslide at Chawnpui, Aizawl district, swept away an entire family as stated by MSDMA.
Landslides occurring on National Highway 6 at Hunthar and NH-54 at Bungbangla made the State capital disconnected from the rest of the country throughout Tuesday. According to officials, these road blockages were removed during evening hours thereby allowing for resumption of traffic movement.
Rains swept through some cemeteries in Republic Veng, Kanan Veng and Kulikawn areas of Aizawl town leaving over 200 graves damaged or destroyed due to landslides.
Most parts of Mizoram will continue receiving light to moderate rainfall on Wednesday according to Guwahati based regional centre India Meteorological Department while isolated places over this hilly state would experience thunderstorms and lightning accompanied with gusty winds up to 30-40 kmph speed.
As IMD has warned about cyclone Remal, the Mizoram Government has directed the closure of all offices and PSU units on Wednesday except those departments involved with disaster management and essential services.
The order also advised for work from home in some instances as far as possible towards employees of the private sector by General Administration Department Commissioner and Secretary K. Lalthawmmawia in view of the weather warning.
Over 150 houses were destroyed
Lalduhoma, Chief Minister of Mizoram announced an ex-gratia amount of ₹4 lakh to be paid to each family who lost members due to this stone quarry collapse and other rain related calamities that have occurred in various parts of the State.
He pointed out that there is a budgetary allocation of ₹15 crore for addressing such rain induced disasters which resulted due to Cyclone Remal.
Trail of Destruction Across Mizoram
More than 150 houses have been destroyed leaving a trail of destruction across Mizoram; dozens were uprooted across villages while electric poles attached on them were completely taken down by cyclone after effect ‘Remal’, many roads were blocked including over fifty dwelling units submerged.
