SHILLONG: A lady had a providential escape after a house at Lower Lumparing was destroyed during the cyclonic storm and incessant rain on Saturday.
The house in Ranab locality was damaged after the neighbour’s wall above collapsed bringing down heavy debris that smashed a major portion of the house.
During a visit to the area on Sunday, the house owner, Sylvana Nongkynrih, told this reporter that her cousin sister sustained minor injury on the left leg after she went to the house to switch on the light around 6.30 pm.
The damage to the house was like the aftermath of an earthquake.
“By the time she went to switch on the light, a big stone came rolling down and she rushed out. Luckily, there was only a minor injury on the leg and first aid was given,” Sylvana said.
There was damage to the adjacent house, also belonging to Sylvana, as cracks have developed in some rooms.
“I heard a loud noise while it was still raining and what I witnessed later was unbelievable as massive stones fell on our two houses after the wall collapsed,” Sylvana said.
She said the houses were constructed 25 years ago and had resisted all natural calamities.
According to Sylvana, the only reason for the damage to the houses was the collapsed wall.
She said though a wall was already there, one more was constructed by the neighbour, Roma Lyngdoh Nongpiur, and both the walls collapsed on the two houses below.
Nongpiur, however, said the wall belonged to the municipality and it was constructed in the 1980s.
She added that she had constructed one more fence adjacent to the municipal wall and both collapsed.
“The heavy rain accompanied by cyclone brought down the walls leading to the accident,” she added.
