Staff Reporter Aizawl, June 13:
Four members of a family, all of them minors, were killed when their house was swept away by landslide at Thuampui locality in Aizawl around 9:30pm Friday.
Collapse of retaining wall triggered by incessant rains on Friday night mowed down the Assam-type house where the seven-member family lived. One of the family member was away at the time of the incident.
The remaining six members of the family were swept down the hill along with the house. The head of the family, Lalbiakzuala, 75, managed to crawl out of the debris and sustained minor injuries. A 35-year-old woman was half buried in the soil, and she was rescued later.
Four minors of the family were buried in the debris.
On Friday night, the dead bodies of Lalthlamuani, 16- year-old girl, and two boys, Joseph Lalrinhlua and Lalngaihsaka, aged five and three respectively, were recovered from the debris. The body of 16-year-old girl Laltanpuii was recovered around 5:00am today.
Following the landslide, police, local volunteers and the state disaster response force team were engaged in the rescue operation. They recovered the dead bodies of four children from the debris.
The last body to be recovered was that of a 16- year- old girl, who was killed along with her twin sister, around 6 am on Saturday, police said.
Three occupants of another building, which stood below, managed to escape when they heard the loud noise of the landslide.
Disaster Managament & Rehabilitation minister Lalchamliana, who visited the site on Saturday, said an inquiry committeed chaired by Aizawl district deputy commissioner will be instituted to probe into the disaster.
He expressed deep condolences for the family and he gave Rs 10,000 as condolence to the family and Rs 5,000 to the Thuampui local council for their refreshment.
(Source: Newslink Vol-XXIII No.123 Aizawl June 14, Monday 2021)