SHILLONG: The body of 16-year-old Lumlang Riahtam was recovered on Friday, marking the second recovery among the victims of a devastating landslide that occurred in Nongpriang under Shella block in East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya.
This brings the total number of recovered bodies to two out of the four reported missing.
The landslide, which struck early Thursday morning, affected two houses and left four people trapped.
The first victim, Phisar Nongrum (75), was found on Thursday.
The bodies of two other family members, Kynmaw Syngai (70) and Benti Rehta (60), are still missing.
An official, while providing an update on the ongoing rescue operations, told a local news portal that the landslide’s location in a non-motorable area has complicated efforts.
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“It was raining very heavily, and portions of two houses were washed away. Four persons were missing and feared dead,” the official was quoted as saying.
Due to the terrain, earth-moving machinery cannot be deployed, and debris removal is being done manually.
Teams from the police, fire and emergency services, and the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) are on-site and working around the clock to retrieve the remaining bodies.
The landslide is part of the broader destruction caused by Cyclone Remal, which wreaked havoc in Meghalaya on Wednesday.
The cyclone-induced rains have affected over 5,000 people across the state.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Kyrmen Shylla reported that 5,619 individuals have been impacted.
In response to the widespread damage, the government has disbursed a total of Rs 19.85 crore to the deputy commissioners of all districts to provide immediate relief to those affected by the cyclone.
Efforts are ongoing to recover the remaining victims and provide support to the affected communities in the wake of cyclone.
