The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) have evacuated over 1,500 stranded passengers while over 25 pairs of trains connecting Tripura, Mizoram and southern Assam had to be cancelled following heavy landslides triggered by incessant rains in Dima Hasao district in Assam, officials said on Sunday, 15 May.
The NFR officials said that most of the stranded passengers were evacuated on Sunday from Ditokcherra by train while the remaining passengers were airlifted to Silchar by IAF choppers.
In view of water logging and landslides due to heavy rain, between Jatinga Lumpur and New Harangajao, and between Bandarkhal and Ditokcherra sections and other several locations in Lumding-Badarpur hill section of Lumding division of NFR, services of 25 pairs of trains have been cancelled/ partially cancelled.
"The stranded passengers of these trains are safe. All kinds of essential items like food and drinking water are being arranged by the railway authorities for them," the NFR official said.
A district official of Dima Hasao district said that soils of 100 meter railway tracks at Daotohaja-Phaiding section and similar length of the vital Haflong-Jatinga highway had been washed away due to the non-stop rains, which have continued for the past five days.
At least three people were killed and a few others went missing following heavy landslides triggered by incessant rains in Dima Hasao district in Assam during the last 24 hours.
Officials of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said that three persons, including a woman, lost their lives in Haflong revenue circle of Dima Hasao district.
After the landslides, few people remained missing till Sunday.
The mountainous district has been ravaged by flash floods and massive landslides in more than nine places causing snapping of vital rail and road links from other parts of the state and region.
Over 80 houses were either fully damaged or severely affected due to the landslides, which occurred at New Kunjung, Fiangpui, Moulhoi, Namzeurang, South Bagetar, Mahadev Tilla, Kalibari, North Bagetar, Zion and Lodi Pangmoul villages.
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