Amid the woeful devastation and despair caused by the unprecedented massive landslide that occured on the intervening night of June 29 and 30 at Makhuam village located near Tupul in Noney district, Manipur, family members of a couple and their child that were believed to be buried in the landslide debris are mourning the death of an unborn child.
In a heartbreaking revelation, the woman who was buried along with her husband and her child was four-month pregnant. This was disclosed by the father-in-law of the woman, Gondaimei Lungaiphun, in an exclusive interaction with this Imphal Free Press reporter.
Of as many as 80 total victims of the landslide, Lungaiphun's 28-year-old son Kavamgai, daughter-in-law Chunthuiliu and his one-year and-eight months old granddaughter Jenthouliu were expected to be buried in the landslide debris.
"My first worry when I learnt about the landslide was about my grandchild. They have been staying at the said place for almost two years to earn some income since they are running a family," he said.
Kavamgai, who works as a DG operator for the railway project, had been staying at the area for almost two years along with his wife and daughter and engaging in livestock farming as their livelihood.
"The last time I met them was two weeks ago. At first, I had hopes of seeing them alive somehow. Now that the rescue operation has been going on since the last three days, I just want to see their bodies," a visibly sad Lungaiphun said.
He also drew the attention of the government, officials and personnel engaged in the rescue operation to at least make him see their bodies for the last time.
Meanwhile, eyewitnesses of the massive landslide, Pougonglung Gangmei, 47, of Marangching Part 3 (Makhuam), was still in a traumatic state when the Imphal Free Press approached him for an interview.
Pougonglung, who is an ABCI labourer, recounted, "We were awakened by the thumping sound of a pile of mud falling down. It was completely dark and foggy and vision was not very clear yet panic struck us that some of the people may have been buried considering the massive scale of the landslide."
It is said that many of the labourers were engaged in the railway work since two years.
CO of 12 Battalion NDRF, Pankaj Kavdayal said that the personnel engaged in the rescue and search operations are facing huge inconveniences since they cannot search for the bodies manually owing to the huge pile of mud needed to be dug out.
"Huge machinery like excavators and poclain are being used. If not for the heavy rainfall, the operation will be successful and all bodies will be retrieved at the earliest," he added.
