Manipur: Second landslide hits Noney district as death toll from first rises to 25

As Manipur continues to grapple with the fallout of the 30 June landslide in Noney that has claimed at least 25 lives,  another landslide hit near the tragedy site, the Manipur Mountaineering and Tracking Association said on Saturday.More details of the incident are awaited.Meanwhile, five bodies were found under the debris at the landslide-hit railway construction site in on Saturday, taking the toll to 25, officials said. So far 38 people are missing and more teams have been brought in to augment the search and rescue operations, they said."The situation in the landslide affected area of Tupul is still serious. Due to rainfall in the morning, we are expecting the bad weather to persist. So far, 18 injured person and 25 deceased have been recovered. 38 persons are still missing," Chief Minister N Biren Singh tweeted, sharing the video of a landslide.Singh termed the landslide in Noney district the worst incident in the history of the state.The debris of the landslide had blocked the Ijai river, forming dam-like storage, threatening the people living nearby. Earth-movers have been brought in to remove the debris, and create a channel to allow the flow of water, officials said.Army, Assam Rifles, Territorial Army, SDRF and NDRF are continuing the search operations at the site, a defence spokesperson in Guwahati said."Through Wall Radar is being successfully used, and a search and rescue dog is being employed to assist," he said."Search for 12 missing Territorial Army personnel and 26 civilians continued," a defence spokesperson in Guwahati said. The bodies of 14 personnel, including a junior commissioned officer, were sent to their hometowns by two IAF aircraft and an army helicopter, he added. The body of one personnel was sent to Kangpokpi district in Manipur by road. Full military honours were given to the deceased personnel at Imphal before sending the bodies to their destinations, the spokesperson said.The first landslide hit in the wee hours of Thursday near the company location of 107 Territorial Army of the Indian Army deployed near Tupul Railway Station for protection of the under-construction railway line from Jiribam to Imphal.The North-East Frontier Railway CPRO said the landslide was triggered by incessant rains caused damage to the Tupul station building of the ongoing Jiribam - Imphal new line project.With input from agencies