Nine killed in landslide in Manipur’s Tamenglong district

Eight children and a woman were killed in landslides triggered by heavy rain in three different places in Manipur’s Tamenglong district early Wednesday, deputy commissioner Ravinder Singh said.

The bodies of two children are yet to be recovered.

The landslide took place in between around 2-3 am on Wednesday at three different places of Tamenglong district headquarter, about 150 km west of Imphal, sources said. Tamenglong district borders with Assam’s North Cachar hill district and Nagaland’s Peren district.

“The unfortunate incident happened after heavy rain in the area which lasted for 3-4 hours,” the Deputy Commissioner said on phone. “Now we’re trying to find the bodies of two missing children.”

Eight of the dead are below 18 years of age while the ninth victim was the mother of one of the children. The dead are from three different families of New Salem, Neigailong and Ramgailong in the adjoining areas of the hill town, police said. All of them were reportedly killed in their sleep.

Among those killed were five children – two daughters and three sons of Kaithuanang Riamei (44) of New Salem while a woman and her son were killed when their house at Neigalong area was swept away by the landslide. The deceased woman in Neigalong has been identified as one Meijinglakliu Pamei (33).

Two children including a baby boy and three-year-old daughter of Lanthailung Kamei (40) have also been swept away at Ramgailong area and their bodies are yet to be recovered.

So far there is no official announcement for the relief and rehabilitation initiatives from the government side. Chief Minister N Biren Singh said in a tweet that the rescue operations were underway.

“I am deeply saddened to know that nine precious lives lost due to land slide at 3 places in Tamenglong Head Quarter, till now 7 bodies have been recovered 2 bodies of children yet to recovered. Rescue operation is on,” he tweeted.

A ministerial delegation from Imphal also reportedly left for Tamenglong this morning to oversee the situation.

Wednesday’s casualties are the largest since 20 people were killed in a massive landslide in August 2015 in the remote village of Joumol in Manipur’s Chandel district bordering Myanmar.