India landslide death toll climbs to 25 as rains wreak havoc
New Delhi, Jul 2 (EFE).- The number of deaths caused by a landslide at a military camp in northeast India climbed to 25 on Saturday, two days after the incident, while 18 people have been wounded, even as rescue worked continued amid incessant rains.
“So far, 18 injured person and 25 deceased have been recovered. 38 persons are still missing,” tweeted N Biren Singh, the chief minister of the northeastern state of Manipur, where the incident took place in the hilly Noney district.
The deceased include nine members of a Territorial Army unit from Darjeeling – situated in the state of West Bengal – who had been posted at the military camp, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted.
Around 44 soldiers of the armed forces are believed to have been present at the camp at the time of the accident, along with over 30 civilian workers, according to authorities.
Rescue teams have been forced to press more assets in the area, where access has been made difficult by continuous heavy monsoon rains, which triggered the landslide in the first place.
Images from the site show rescue work in progress, while the camp area appears fully buried under loose earth, even as excavators try to pave a way to enable the victims to be evacuated.
On Friday, Biren Singh visited the site and announced a compensation of 500,000 rupees (around $6,300) for the families of the victims, and 50,000 rupees for the wounded.
Heavy rains also continued to lash the neighboring state of Assam, where at least 14 people were killed and a population of over one million affected by monsoon-related weather, according to the latest report released by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority.
Landslides and floods are common in South Asia, especially during the monsoon season between June and September, when heavy rains lash the region. EFE
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