Guwahati: Landslide strikes in Rupnagar; body recovered after 17 hours

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: A fresh landslide struck Guwahati’s Rupnagar area late Friday night, claiming the life of one Maneswar Rajbongshi and taking the city’s landslide death toll to six so far this year.

The incident occurred around 11:30 pm, when a loud noise was heard from the hillside behind Rajbongshi’s residence. He reportedly went to the back of his house to investigate, when a second, more powerful landslide occurred, bringing down massive boulders, broken walls, bricks, and tin sheets, burying him under the debris. Two houses were severely damaged in the incident.

Rescue operations were launched immediately by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local police, fire and emergency services, and sniffer dog units. Despite continuous efforts through the night, Rajbongshi remained missing for nearly 17 hours. Drilling machines were used to cut through large rocks, and on Saturday, with the help of a JCB, his body was recovered from beneath the rubble. He was rushed to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) but was declared dead on arrival.

This latest tragedy adds to the growing list of fatal landslides in Guwahati this monsoon season. Just a week earlier, on May 31, three people died in a deadly landslide in the Bonda area following heavy rains. Among the five persons previously killed in landslides, a ten-year-old boy from Datalpara lost his life, and another victim from Maligaon succumbed to his injuries in a private hospital.

Also Read: Guwahati: Two Landslides on Nilachal Hill; Two Houses Damaged

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