Landslip kills 10 in Aizawl

SANTANU GHOSH AND LINDA CHAKCHHUAK

The hill slope in Chaltlang locality in Aizawl that was wiped clean of houses by the landslide on Saturday. Telegraph picture Silchar/Aizawl, May 11: A landslide at Chaltlang in Aizawl today left at least 10 people dead, 11 injured and at least 25 missing. It was tiggered when a building, housing PWD quarters, collapsed and slid down a hillside, destroying nine more houses on its way down. Mizoram chief minister Lalthanhawla told The Telegraphfrom Aizawl this evening that 10 people were dead and at least seven to 10 persons were still under the debris. "We have rescued eight people," he said. "At least 12 houses, including RCC ones, have been damaged in north Aizawl. Nearby buildings have also been endangered. Eleven vehicles have been buried under the debris." A magisterial inquiry had been ordered and ex gratia will be paid to the victims and for reconstruction of the dwellings in accordance with government norms, he said. He said along with his colleagues, he was monitoring rescue operations. "Inclement weather hampered rescue operations initially — today being a holiday also did not help matters — but it picked up momentum after a while. Personnel of the disaster management authority, Mizoram Armed Police and Border Roads Organisation have been deployed in the rescue operations," the chief minister said. A series of severe storms, accompanied by gales, which ripped through Mizoram during the past three days, have left 514 houses on the hillsides and slopes either totally or partially damaged and uprooted several electric poles, particularly in the three districts of Kolosib, Aizawl and Serchip, sources said. Official estimates of the damage are, however, still not available from Kolosib and Serchip. "There has been no report from the other two districts as of now," Lalthanhawla said. According to sources, however, preliminary estimates have pegged the extent of loss at Rs 7 crore. The sources said Kolosib district bore the brunt of damage, with around 300 houses being ravaged by the high velocity wind and hailstorm over the past three days. The storms have also damaged a Presbyterian church at Tachhip in Aizawl district. According to officials in Aizawl, the administrations in all eight districts have been asked to immediately send detailed reports of the damage to enable the government to chart out the necessary relief measures for the affected people. Regarding today's incident, sources said the building that collapsed had already shown visible cracks after being struck by a landslide last year. The authorities, however, failed to have it demolished and the occupants evacuated. The incessant rain that has lashed Aizawl and many other parts of the Northeast for over three days now left the soil on the hillside loose, leading to the landslip this morning. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130512/jsp/frontpage/story_16888587.jsp