4 children killed in massive landslide in Mizoram

Aizawl, June 12 (PTI) Four children were killed and two others injured as a massive landslide swept away a building in Aizawl in Mizoram, police said on Saturday.

The incident happened around 9.30 pm on Friday at Thuampui neighbourhood in the Bawngkawn police station area in the northeastern part of the city, they said.

An Assam-type building, in which a seven-member family lived, was swept away by the retaining wall that collapsed due to a landslip, triggered by rains, police said.

Six of the seven family members were present in the house at the time of the incident, they said.

Four children, aged between three and 16, died on the spot. The head of the family, Lalbiakzuala (75), escaped from the debris and another member was rescued alive, police said.

The bodies were recovered from the debris during the rescue operation launched by police and local volunteers soon after the incident.

The last body to be recovered was that of a 16-year- old girl, who was killed along with her twin sister, around 6 am on Saturday, police said.

Three occupants of another building, which stood below, managed to escape when they heard the loud noise of the landslide.