Manipur landslide toll reaches 27
Imphal/UNI: The toll in Manipur landslides went up to 27 on Saturday, with the recovery of seven more bodies in the Noney district as the rescue operation was still on, officials said.
The landslides began on the intervening night of June 29 and 30 at Tupul.
Around 35 persons are still reported missing.
The authorities have asked people in low-lying areas to evacuate as the weather has not improved.
Meanwhile, the mortal remains of 14 Territorial Army personnel were sent to their respective homes after giving full military honours at the Imphal International Airport.
Thirteen Territorial Army personnel and five civilians have been safely rescued so far.
The search continued for the third consecutive day with Manipur Police, Indian Army, Assam Rifles, Territorial Army, SDRF and NDRF personnel working at the incident site.
The rains slightly disturbed the operations, an official said.
A landslide also occurred near the site but it did not affect the operations or cause any casualties or major damage.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh has been supervising the rescue operations and the government has stationed senior officials and security personnel in the affected area.
On the other hand, Haulianlal Guite, Deputy Commissioner, Noney said in an advisory on Saturday that the flow of the ljei river was still obstructed by the debris, creating a dam-like storage condition, which, if breached, will wreak havoc on the low-lying areas.
Efforts are on using a dozen earth movers to make a clear channel for allowing the safe outflow of stored water.
The general public living in villages downstream has been advised to take their own precautions and evacuate to a safe place.
He said over 400 personnel across multiple central and state departments were involved in the search and rescue work at the landslide site.
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