20 villagers buried alive, several houses washed away by landslides in Chandel
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal/Chandel, August 01 2015 : At least 20 villagers of Joumol village located under Khengjoi Sub-Division in Chandel District have been buried alive in a landslide even as many houses have been swept away due to incessant rainfall since the past five/six days in the State.

According to an official source, 20 villagers of Joumol village were buried alive while 12 houses were swept away by a massive landslide that occurred between 8 am and 9 am.

A late report informed that eight buried victims have been rescued from Chamol village late evening.

Joumol village is rather a hamlet inhabited by just around 21 households.

According to the 2011 Census report, there are 96 people at Joumol.

However, one villager survived the fury of nature and reported the incident at the Assam Rifles post of Hengshi village.

He has been given shelter at neighbouring Sehlon village.

Joumol hamlet can be reached through Chak-pikarong, Tengnoupal or from Myanmar.

Although the nearest route to Joumol is through Chakpikarong, the route is no longer accessible after the Chakpikarong bridge snapped yesterday.

A sunken portion of Imphal-Ukhrul road (Left); map of Khengjoy sub-division where Joumol is located

As for the route connecting Tengnoupal to Joumol, the road constructed by BRTF has sunk at two points near Paraolon and at another point some 20 Kms away.

The Molcham police station OC as well as the Khengjoy SDO/BDO would be heading for Joumol tomorrow morning.

It is reported that Khangbarol TD Block BDO Md Nazim is on his way to Chandel and he too would head for Joumol tomorrow morning.

According to the survivor, the victims of the landslide are Semkhothaong Baite (60) s/o Ngamjaon Baite, Kham-neng Baite (60) w/o Semkhothong Baite, Sem-khoson Baite (65) s/o Khup- jang Baite, Khanching Baite (60) w/o Semkhoson Baite, Hamlet Baite (45) s/o Lam-khojang Baite, Semkholet Baite (50) s/o Khupjang Baite, Jangminlen Baite (20) s/o Semkhoson Baite, Mang-kholet Baite (40) s/o Ngoh- kang Baite, Hoineilhing Baite (30) w/o Paolet Baite, Dou-jam Baite (3) s/o Manglet Baite, Paojamang Baite (1) s/o Manglet Baite, Thangmang Baite (40), Holmang Baite (40), Thangkhenlal Baite (40), Mary Baite (35) w/o Thangkhenlal Baite, Lhun-khomang Baite (25) s/o Ngamlet Baite, Jangginlal Baite (25) s/o Jamkholun Baite, Tongkhothang Baite (35) s/o Hemlet Baite and there are still yet to be identified.

Several houses of Hollen-jang, Wayang and Tuitung Village under Khengjoi sub-Division were also swept away by the landslides.

But there is no report of lost of human lives from these villages till the time of filing this report.

The State Government has dispatched a team of State Disaster Response Force to rescue the villagers.

But the team could not proceed to their destination due to several landslides near Teng- noupal and they returned to Chandel district headquarters.

Meanwhile, landslides also wreaked havoc in between Bongyang and Lokchao along the Imphal-Moreh highway and Tengnoupal-Sangshak road in Chandel district.

At Senam and Tengnoupal, Some people of the two villages vacated their respective houses and shifted their belongings to a safer place as crack has been developed due to landslide in the village.

Major crack also developed along the Imphal-Moreh highway in between Chahmol and Tengnoupal.

In between Tengnoupal-Sita junction and Tengnoupal Power Sub-Station landslide occurred at four locations and blocked the Tengnoupal-Sangshak road and a portion of Tengnoupal-Sangshak road was also washed away by a landslide in between Chehlep Lamkhai and Phalbung village.

Speaking to the media persons, Daniel Mate, president KSO Tengnoupal said that owing to incessant rainfall, landslide occurred at many places in and around Tengnoupal villages.

And these places have been cut off from the rest of the State.

While appealing to the State Government to provide relief assistance, the president also urged the general public and traders to suspend vehicular movement along the Imphal-Moreh road temporarily in view of the multiple landslides.

Even as different teams of Kuki Inpi Manipur, KSO and Thadou Students' Association rushed in to rescue the buried villages, they could not reach Joumol on account of multiple landslides on the way.

It is reported that 26 houses of PM Dingpi village have been swept away by a terrible rainstorm today.

Meanwhile, the Vaiphei People's Council Ghqs has condoled the joumol tragedy.