• NET Web Desk

The Manipur government on Wednesday officially called-off the search operations, just 20 days after the massive landslide struck the railway construction site in Noney District.

According to the Chief Minister – N. Biren Singh, the massive landslide had claimed lives of 61 people, while 18 people have been rescued.

Atleast, 56 bodies have been retrieved from under the debris and 5 people, including four civilians and one Territorial Army (TA) personnel, are still missing, and it has been decided to declare them dead, he said.

Thirty of the deceased are TA personnel, while the rest are railway officials, labourers and locals.

Its worthy to note that this massive landslide had struck the company location of 107 Territorial Army of Indian Army deployed near Tupul Railway Station for protection of under construction railway line from Jiribam to Imphal.

Meanwhile, the Manipur Chief Minister – N. Biren Singh earlier referred the catastrophe as “worst incident in the history of Manipur”.

“Bulldozers and other engineering equipment were used to make the incident site accessible and assist in the rescue efforts. A Thorough Wall Radar from Ladakh was being inducted by air to detect the presence of personnel buried in the debris. A search-and-rescue dog was also inducted,” – informed an official release.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indian Army, Assam Rifles, State Government teams, TA personnel, and Railways workers were involved into rescue operations at the landslide-hit Tupul station building.

The landslide debris had also obstructed the Ezei River, which flows through Tamenglong & Noney Districts of Manipur.