Monsoon havoc in Mizoram causes landslides and floods leading to five fatalities

Mizoram has reported five deaths in the current wave of landslides, house collapse and other calamities triggered by heavy rains in the last 10 days, the state's Disaster Management and Rehabilitation department said on Tuesday.

Data shared by the department said that three people died in Champhai district and one each in Aizawl and Serchhip districts due to the collapse of houses and walls caused by landslides and flash floods.

The state also reported 552 landslides at several places, while 152 houses have collapsed or have been damaged due to rain during the same period, it said.

One hundred and ninety-eight families have abandoned their houses due to landslides or fissures and 92 others evacuated their homes due to floods, it said.

Of the total 11 districts, east Mizoram's Champhai district, which shares a border with Myanmar, faced the brunt of the current monsoon reporting three deaths, 209 landslides, 9 house damages and evacuation of 14 families, it said.

Serchhip district reported one fatality, 75 landslides, 27 house damages and 132 families abandoned their houses due to landslides, fissures and floods, the data said.

Eighteen landslides were reported in Aizawl district, while 13 houses have collapsed or have been damaged and 17 others have been abandoned, it said.

Khawzawl district reported 75 landslides, Lunglei district (60) and south Mizoram's Siaha district reported 53 landslides, it said.

At least 29 houses collapsed or were damaged in Siaha district, 23 in Kolasib district, 18 in Lunglei district and 9 in Khawzawl district, the data said.

All schools in the state except those in Saitual district remained shut on Tuesday due to rain.

Officials said that more than a hundred trucks carrying essential commodities to the southern districts were stranded in Serchhip.

A report by the IMD said that Aizawl district received 253.7 mm of rainfall in the last three days, followed by Khawzawl district 248.33 mm and Siaha district received 241.5 mm of rainfall during the same period.

Light to moderate rainfall is predicted in the coming five days, the report said.