Imphal: A total of eight people, including armymen were killed and over 50 are missing after a massive landslide struck the 107 Territorial Army (TA) camp in Noney district of Manipur early Thursday.
Among them seven were the territorial army personnel and one was a Railways worker engaged in the construction of the Imphal-Jiribam railway project, said sources.
The troops were deployed near Tupul Railway Station in Noney district for the protection of the under-construction railway line. Imphal-based defence PRO said said columns of the Indian Army and the Assam Rifles are engaged in the rescue operations.
The engineering equipment at the site too has been pressed into the rescue efforts, it said.
The massive debris has blocked the Ejai River, creating a reservoir that may inundate low-lying areas, according to the Noney Deputy Commissioner.
An advisory issued by the Deputy Commissioner read: “Due to the unfortunate landslide which occurred at Tupul yard railway construction camp, where casualties are being reported and dozens buried alive, the flow of the river has also been obstructed by the debris, creating a dam-like storage condition which if breached will wreak havoc to the low-lying areas of Noney district headquarters…”
