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Aizawl (Mizoram), May 28: Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma visited two disaster sites in Aizawl city on Tuesday, which were severely affected by the heavy rainfall from Cyclone Remal, claiming 17 lives.
State Home Minister K Sapdanga, who is also holding the portfolio of disaster management and rehabilitation, along with several ministers, MLAs, and officials were also present. CM Lalduhoma expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the loss of lives and valuable property. He also offered well wishes to the search and rescue operation teams, volunteers, and everyone involved in the relief and rehabilitation efforts. Before heading to the disaster-struck sites, the Chief Minister first visited the Aizawl District Disaster Operation Centre (DC Conference Hall) where he was briefed by the officials about the latest developments regarding the disaster. He instructed all the district disaster management authorities to prepare a detailed report for their districts. During this session, he announced the sanctioning of Rs 15 crore from the Disaster Mitigation Fund for the mitigation initiatives. Additionally, he declared that a sum of Rs 4 lakh would be provided as ex-gratia to the families of those who lost their lives due to the cyclone-induced disaster. Following the announcement, the distribution of the first installment of ex-gratia was immediately initiated. CM Lalduhoma then proceeded to Melthum village, where the highest number of casualties occurred. The post-mortem was conducted at the Melthum Presbyterian Hall. As of now, 17 bodies have been recovered from three locations. The Chief Minister and Home Minister personally handed over Rs 2 lakh each to the identified 8 victims belonging to local communities as the initial payment of ex-gratia. The remaining Rs 2 lakh will be disbursed after all reports are finalised. For non-resident casualties, bank transfers will be arranged upon identification and completion of the necessary reports. Additionally, the Chief Minister provided Rs 50,000 to the Melthum Branch YMA to cover search and rescue expenses in their locality. Following their program at the Hall, the Chief Minister and Home Minister toured all the rescue operation sites in Melthum. However, due to connectivity issues, they were unable to visit the Hlimen calamity site. After concluding their visit to Melthum, the Chief Minister proceeded to the site of the landslide at Kanan Locality Cemetery. The local authorities reported that 51 graves were exposed and destroyed by the landslide. At this juncture, many buried dead bodies were identified and had already been recovered. The Chief Minister also allocated Rs 50,000 to assist with their rescue expenses. Even as the search and rescue operation is ongoing, the exact number of casualties has not been confirmed yet. (ANI)
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