All schools in Mizoram closed due to torrential rain and landslides

All schools across Mizoram remained shut on Monday due to heavy rain that triggered landslides, mudslides, rockfalls and waterlogging in different parts of the state, an official said.

School Education Department Director Angela Zothanpuii said that all the 11 district administrations announced the closure of schools on Monday as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the students.

The notifications issued by the district administrations said that the school closure directive comes following alarming weather forecasts issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which predicted further heavy rainfall and possible natural hazards, including landslides, mudflows, and rockfalls across several parts of the state.

Earlier, schools were closed across the state for two days on May 29 and May 30.

Although there was no rain, the state capital Aizawl experienced cloudy weather on Monday morning.

At least five people, including three Myanmarese refugees, have been killed so far due to landslides, house collapses and other calamities triggered by heavy rain that lashed the state since May 24.

Officials of the state Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Department said that 60 houses have collapsed or have been damaged, and 69 others have been vacated due to landslides or mudslides and floods across the state so far.

A total of 211 landslides have been reported in different parts of the state till Sunday, and highways have been blocked at 83 locations, they said.

Officials of the state power department said that at least seven 33 KV sub-stations have been damaged and more than one-third area of the entire state is facing power outages due to rain.

Restoration works are underway and power is expected to be restored in such areas within the next two-three days if there is no further rain, they said.

The State Public Health Engineering Department also said that water supply has been disrupted in around 50 places and water pumping machines, which feed Kolasib and Hnahthial towns and Keitum village in Serchhip district, have been submerged under water.

An IMD report said that Serchhip district received the highest amount of rainfall in the last 24 hours at 10.46 cm, followed by Kolasib (9.83 cm) and Aizawl (9.74 cm).

Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in the state on Monday, it said.

Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Sunday held an emergency meeting with ministers and senior officials in the wake of landslides and waterlogging triggered by heavy rains.

The meeting agreed to take stringent measures regarding construction and building plans as it was observed that several incidents were caused due to human error.

The meeting decided to facilitate the immediate release of funds to district disaster management authorities to enable them to expedite various work. Detailed reports of calamities and the challenges faced by the state government in the wake of heavy rain would be submitted to the Centre as soon as possible.

They also agreed to give priority to highways connecting district headquarters and Lengpui airport to ensure that connectivity was not disrupted.