Manipur Landslide: 7 Dead, 23 Missing , Tupul Railway Station damaged
IMPHAL- At least seven people were killed and 23 others injured after a massive landslide hit near Tupul Railway Station in Manipur’s Noney district on Wednesday night.
Many of those killed belonged to the terrirtorial army who guarded a major railway line construction site, officials said.
The landslide also obstructed the flow of a river, creating a dam-like water body that could lead to flooding if the debris are removed, leading to a complex environmental disaster.
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A defnece spokesperson said that “ Around midnight of 29/ 30 June a massive landslide struck the company location of 107 Territorial Army of Indian Army deployed near Tupul Railway Station in Noney district, Manipur for protection of under construction railway line from Jiribam to Imphal.
Full scale rescue operations are in progress by columns of Indian Army and Assam Rifles. The available engineer plant equipment on site has been pressed into the rescue efforts.
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Thirteen individuals had been rescued. The injured individuals are being treated at Noney Army Medical unit. Evacuation of the critical injured personal is in progress. The flow of Ijai river has been affected due to the landslide.
The Rescue operations are being hampered by fresh landslides and bad weather, however a concerted effort is underway to rescue the missing individuals. The Army helicopters are on standby waiting for the weather to clear.
Due to incessant heavy rain for last few days, in the intervening night of 29/30 June 2022, the hillock adjacent to the Tupul station yard gave away and came down on the under construction station yard, said Sabyasachi De, Chief Public Relations Officer of NF Railway
The under construction Tupul station building, track formation and camps of construction workers got damaged as a result of the massive land slide, Das said.
Soon after the incident occurred, rescue teams from NDRF, SDRF, State Govt and Railways rushed to the site. Full scale rescue operations are in progress. Senior Railway Officials, available engineers and equipment on construction site have been pressed into the rescue efforts.
Chief Minister of Manipur and Railway Minister are in constant touch about the ongoing rescue operation.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over the incident.
People have been asked to avoid taking National Highway-37, which passes through this area, due to multiple blockages by landslides amid heavy rain for the last few days.