Rain-triggered landslides kill 21 in Barak Valley

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR: Following landslides triggered by torrential rains on Monday night, at least 21 persons including three children, lost their lives in three separate incidents across Barak Valley on Monday night.

According to the metrological department, the rainfall measured 150 mm.

A source from the border town of Karimganj said that six persons of the same family were buried alive when their thatched house located on a hillock came crashing down with the gush of rain waters from upper levels. The soil on which the house stood had already loosened which in a flash brought it down.

It was only in the morning that the neighbourhood awakened to the calamity when people along with SDRF personnel rushed to the site. The debris was dug up to bring out the dead. The victims have been identified as Ajir Uddin (57), wife Rajia Begum (40), their sons Aftab Hussain (10) and Anowar Uddin (7) and daughter Tahera Begum (5). One could not be identified. The slippery slopes of the place made it difficult to extract the dead.

In a similar tragic incident, six persons of a family at Kolapur Part-II village under Joypur Police Station of Udharbond constituency died when their thatched house rolled down from its location, perched between two hillocks of Pailapur ranges of Lakhipur subdivision of Cachar. It was not until dawn that the local people with the help of police extracted the dead from the debris. It took almost four hours to bring out the victims identified as Tamij Uddin Laskar (45), his sons — Saidul Alom Laskar (21), Arif Uddin Laskar (16), and Imran Uddin Laskar (9); as well as his daughters — Alia Begum Laskar (23), Amana Begum Laskar (13), and Sumana Begum Laskar (11).

In Hailakandi district, eight adult daily wage earners, living in separate kutchha houses on the hilly areas of Bortuwar village in reserve forest areas under Algapur Police Station, lost their lives in landslips. Five others injured were taken to a hospital. According to records, this tragic toll has no parallel in the history of this valley.

IANS adds: Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has condoled the deaths, and asked the district administrations to take all steps to help the affected families. He also asked the officials to sanction financial aid to the families of the victims.