By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 31: The rescue teams from Sohra on Friday retrieved the remaining three bodies of the landslide victims, all from the same family, at Nongpriang village under the Sohra Civil Sub-Division.
The rescue teams located the body of Kynmaw Synnai (70) and his wife Denti Riahtam (60) at around 5.15 pm. The body of their son, Lumlang Riahtam (16), was recovered earlier in the day.
The body of the fourth victim, 75-year-old Phisar Nongrum was retrieved on Thursday.
The landslide in the upper reaches of the village had buried two houses on Thursday morning.
The sub-divisional officer, Saloni Verma said the four bodies were retrieved from under the debris.
“Post-mortem exemption will be granted according to the request of the family members,” she said.
Verma said the rescue teams comprising police, fire service, and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel reached the village on Thursday and spent the night there. They had to trek down 7,000 steps to reach the spot for the rescue operation, she added.
The teams had to carry out the rescue operations with small tools as no machinery could be brought since the village is not connected by road.
Disaster Management Minister, Kyrmen Shylla will visit the disaster-struck Nongpriang on Saturday. He told reporters that the government is with the people in good times or in bad times.
He termed the incident tragic and said the government would give compensation to the next of kin of the victims.
Shylla also said the Jowai-Silchar Road (National Highway 6) is being restored for vehicles to ply. He said the deputy commissioner concerned has directed his officers to ensure that the road is cleared at the earliest.
An update from East Jaintia Hills said the damaged portion of NH6 at Lumshnong village has been partially repaired to allow small vehicles to pass through. This arterial highway connects Assam’s Barak Valley, parts of Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura with the rest of the country.