Siliguri: Two IAF aircraft and army helicopters on Saturday took the mortal remains of 14 Army personnel, who were killed in the Noney landslides, to their home stations with full military honours.
Tributes were paid to the personnel from the Territorial Army's infantry 107 battalion who had died. Manipur is already reeling from a landslide that hit Manipur's Tupul general area, whose death toll has so far risen to 24.
The landslide hit the Noney area of Manipur on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday near the company location of 107 Territorial Army of the Indian Army deployed near Tupul Railway Station for the protection of the under-construction railway line from Jiribam to Imphal.
The North-East Frontier Railway CPRO said the landslide triggered by incessant rains caused damage to the Tupul station building of the ongoing Jiribam - Imphal new line project.
According to PRO defence, Guwahati, relentless search operations continued by the Indian Army, Assam Rifles, Territorial Army, State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) at the incident site at Tupul, Manipur.
The search operations for 12 missing Territorial Army personnel and 26 civilians still continue, the release from PRO Defence, Guwahati said. Earlier on Friday, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh termed the landslide in Noney district the worst incident in the history of the state. Chief Minister Singh again visited the site to encourage the personnel engaged in rescue operations.
"It is the worst incident in the history of the state. We have lost 81 people's lives of which 18 including a territorial army (personnel) were rescued. Around 55 persons are trapped. It will take 2-3 days to recover all the dead bodies," Singh said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday reviewed the landslide situation caused due to incessant rainfall in Manipur with Chief Minister N Biren Singh and assured full possible support from the central government. (ANI)
