Death toll in Mizoram landslides rises to 29: Official

 Of the deceased, 21 were locals while eight were migrants from Jharkhand and Assam.

PTI, AIZAWL, 1 June 2024 : The death toll in landslides in Mizoram climbed to 29 after the body of a 34-year-old woman was found in Tlawng River in Kolasib district, officials said.

The woman, identified as Vanlalruali, and her husband had been missing after being hit by a landslide in Aibawk village in Aizawl district on Tuesday.

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The woman’s body was found in the river in Hortoki village in Kolasib district, which borders Assam, on Friday, 31 May, they said.

Her body was taken to Kawnpui after being fished out of the river and her family members confirmed her identity.

Search for five other missing persons – four of whom are from Melthum, including a six-month-old, besides Vanlalruali’s husband – is underway.

The deaths were reported in multiple landslides in Aizawl district on Tuesday. Of the deceased, 21 were locals while eight were migrants from Jharkhand and Assam.

Among the retrieved bodies, eight belong to non-Mizos. In Melthum, the deceased individuals include Bittu Manjhi (18 yrs), son of Ram Prasad, from Lagla village, Dumka district, Jharkhand, Sanjay Ray, son of Baleshwar Ray, from Dharampur village, Dilip Manjhi, son of Sajar Manjhi, from Thanpur village, and Bhubneshwar, husband of Ranju Devi, from Sejapahar village, all from Dumka district, Jharkhand.

These four individuals were formally handed over to Christopher Lalrotlinga, son of Lalrothanga of Zarkawt, their employer, following necessary procedures and transported to Jharkhand using the Morgue Van B/R No. MZ-01 M 9676 on 29 May, 2024.

In Hlimen, the deceased individuals include Gautam Kuwar (32 yrs), son of Dev Narayan Kuwar, from Sejapahar I, Dumka, Jharkhand, whose body was claimed by Suman Rai, a relative, and taken to Ramrikawn, Aizawl.

Pradeep Rai (50 yrs), son of Retro Deri (L), from Lailapur, Cachar district, Assam, had his body handed over to Pu Lalrinmawia of Hlimen and subsequently taken to Lailapur, Assam. Nepal Dehari (39 yrs), son of Bada Mangala Dehari, from Upara Bada Chapad, Dumka, Jharkhand, had his body claimed by Samin Dehari, the deceased’s son, and taken to Lailapur, Assam.

Santosh Manjhi (38 yrs), son of Vishnu Manjhi, from Jamogori Uppersitea, Dumka, Jharkhand, had his body handed over to Chapu, the deceased’s uncle, and buried at Hlimen on 30th May, 2024 with the consent of family members.

Chief Minister Lalduhoma announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 4 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased.

He said the government has earmarked Rs 15 crore to tackle disasters triggered by rain caused by Cyclone Remal.

Meanwhile, the body of a woman, suspected to be a victim of landslide, was recovered from the Tlawng river in Mizoram's Kolasib district on Friday, police said.

Aizawl's Superintendent of Police(SP) Rahool Alwal said the body was found in the river near Hortoki village. It is suspected that the body could be of a person who went missing after a landslide in Aizawl, he said. Alwal said search operations to locate six missing persons are underway at Melthum on the southern outskirts of Aizawl.

Before that 28 bodies had been recovered from the debris of the landslides that hit the state capital. Of them, 20 were locals while eight hailed from Jharkhand and Assam, officials said. The Aizawl district administration on Friday asked all families living in the vicinity of the landslide area in Hlimen to shift to safer places.