Guwahati: The landslide in the Noney area was described as the worst incident in the history of the state of Manipur by Chief Minister N Biren Singh. Twenty people died as a result of the tragedy.
Chief Minister Singh returned to the area to offer encouragement to the personnel working on the rescue on Friday (July 2).
“The catastrophe is the worst in the state’s history. 18 people, including a member of the territorial army, were saved out of the 81 lives we lost. There are about 55 people trapped. Due to the soil, recovering all the deceased bodies will take two to three days,” Singh said.
“Additionally, the Center has dispatched NDRF and Army personnel to assist with the rescue effort. The dampness in the soil is affecting vehicle movement and adding to the delay. The rescue effort will require another 1-2 days ,” he added.
According to an official statement from the Indian Army, up to 12 additional bodies, including eight Army soldiers and four civilians, were found during the search operation from the scene of the landslide disaster at Tupul in Manipur on Friday.
Five civilians and a total of 15 members of the Territorial Army have so far been found at the Manipur disaster site. The statement stated that there have now been 20 fatalities in the Manipur countryside.
“During the search on July 1, the mortal remains of eight additional Territorial Army soldiers and four more civilians were discovered. Five civilians and fifteen members of the Territorial Army have had their bodies found so far “Army of India claimed.
In the meantime, 13 members of the Territorial Army as well as five civilians were also saved by the Indian Army, Assam Rifles, Territorial Army, SDRF, and NDRF.
The Indian Army added, “The mortal remains of Territorial Army men are being sent with full military honours to their respective home stations. The search for 29 civilians and 15 members of the Territorial Army who have gone missing will never stop.”