The death toll in the landslide at a railway construction site in Manipur's Noney district rose to 42 on Sunday evening as eight more bodies were found from under the debris, officials said.
Twenty people are still missing with heavy rains and fresh landslides impeding the search operations since Saturday, he said.
Bodies of 42 people have been found so far from under the debris at Tupul yard railway construction camp. Among them are 27 Territorial Army personnel and 15 civilians, including railway employees, construction workers and villagers, a defence spokesperson in Guwahati said.
The Territorial Army is deployed in the area to provide security for the railway construction work.
"Relentless effort to find the remaining three missing Territorial Army personnel, and 17 civilians will continue," he said.
The Army, Assam Rifles, Territorial Army, SDRF and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are part of the search operation.
"The search operation is continuing despite adverse weather conditions, owing to heavy rains and fresh landslides last night," the spokesperson said.
So far, 13 Territorial Army personnel and five civilians have been rescued.
Through Wall Imaging Radar (TWIR) technology is being used to find the missing persons under the debris. A search and rescue dog has also been brought in to assist the efforts, the official said.
A massive landslide hit the railway construction site on Wednesday night. Construction was underway in the area for the 110-km Jiribam to Imphal line under a project to connect the capitals of eight Norteastern states to the country's railway network, officials said.
The debris blocked the Ijei river below, creating a reservoir that threatens to inundate the low-lying areas. At present, work is underway to clear the debris to let the water flow out, they said.
Bodies of seven Territorial Army personnel were sent to their hometowns -- Kolkata and Bagdogra in West Bengal, and Agartala in Tripura -- on Sunday, the spokesperson said.
Full military honours were given to them at Imphal, he said.
Bodies of four civilians killed in the incident were also sent to their native places in Assam on Sunday.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
You’ve hit your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Quarterly Starter
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online
Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app