KOHIMA: The death toll in the flash floods and landslides triggered by incessant rainfall in Nagaland's Mon district has risen to 10, even as search and rescue operations continued for the second day on Monday, officials said.
Disaster management and security officials said that five bodies have so far been recovered, while efforts are underway to retrieve the remaining five bodies still believed to be buried under the debris.
According to officials, three of the 10 victims are women. Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, accompanied by senior officials, on Monday visited the affected Defence Colony area in Mon district in northeastern Nagaland, which shares borders with Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Myanmar, to assess the situation.
Later, the Chief Minister posted on X: "Visited Mon to assess conditions on the ground. Met with community leaders and those leading relief efforts. Reviewed ongoing response and restoration work. Also conducted an aerial survey of the Tizit and Tuli areas. The Government remains committed to relief and early restoration of affected areas."
Addressing local residents and officials, Rio described the tragedy as an unfortunate and unforeseen incident and conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. He commended the efforts of volunteers, civil society organisations, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the District Executive Force (DEF), Mon, and the district administration for their prompt response and urged them to continue extending support and cooperation to the affected families.
The Chief Minister observed that Nagaland, like many other parts of the world, is increasingly witnessing the adverse impacts of climate change. He also stressed the importance of strictly adhering to building by-laws and other safety regulations while undertaking construction activities in vulnerable and landslide-prone areas.
As an immediate relief measure, Rio handed over Rs 10 lakh for emergency use to civil society organisations led by the Konyak Union and assured that the state government would take all necessary steps to address the situation and assist the affected people.
Speaking on behalf of the Konyak legislators, Advisor W. Chingang Konyak also expressed sympathy to the families who lost their loved ones and suffered extensive damage due to the disaster. An investigation team of the Konyak Union presented a short video highlighting the scale of destruction caused by the landslide in Mon town. The team informed the Chief Minister that Mon town has been completely cut off from other parts of the state following road blockages along key lifeline routes, including Tizit, Naganimora, Sonari, Wakching and Aboi.
Mon Deputy Commissioner Wennyei Konyak appreciated the Chief Minister and his team for visiting the affected areas and personally reviewing the situation.
Konyak Union President Yamao Konyak also thanked Rio for his visit and for extending immediate support to the affected communities.
A Defence spokesman earlier said that around 15 houses in the Defence Colony area were severely damaged after the landslide, causing extensive destruction to residential structures and other property.
Personnel of the Assam Rifles, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Nagaland Police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Army, district administration and local volunteers have been carrying out intensive rescue and relief operations since Sunday despite incessant rain, unstable ground conditions and the continued threat of fresh landslides.
An official statement said that Chief Minister Rio on Sunday announced an immediate ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased person and Rs 74,000 to every injured person. The government also announced that relief assistance, including food, temporary shelter, essential commodities and all other eligible support, would be provided to affected families across the impacted districts.
--IANS
