Published on Oct 26, 2022
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Our Correspondent
Imphal, Oct. 25 (EMN): Two women were swept away while crossing a stream in Manipur’s Ukhrul district as the state witnessed light to moderate rainfall at most places with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall following building up of the cyclonic storm Sitrang at Bay of Bengal and its subsequent movement towards north and Northeast wards.
The incident took place at Tholiru stream near Challou rver, Poi village under Chingai assembly constituency in Ukhrul district when the women victims were returning home from their paddy fields around on Monday around 4.50 pm.
The villagers went and searched for the nearby Poi-Challou riverside but due to heavy downpour and strong flood current on Monday evening, the victims could not be traced till 8pm, said former Deputy Speaker MK Preshow Shimray from Poi village in a letter addressed to Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
The two missing women have been identified as RS Ngamreila (30) wife of RS Varechung and RK Ramreila (34) of Poi village.
On hearing the news, Biren Singh sent a state police team along with a team of state disaster response force for the search and rescue operations. He also spoke to the villagers and police officers on phone and asked them to update the development.
Later sharing video of the incident site in a tweet, Biren Singh wrote, "In a very unfortunate incident, two young girls, Ngamreila and Ramreila of Ukhrul district were drowned at the Poi-Challou River. The water level has risen quite significantly after the heavy rainfall in the last two days. Let’s keep them in our prayers."
In another tweet, he said, "The NDRF, District Police, District Administration and the villagers have started the rescue operation. Till now no traces have been found."
Shimray, who is also the BJP Manipur spokesperson, requested the chief minister to dispatch some state forces/machineries to trace the victims as soon as possible and help the victim’s families on humanitarian ground.
Meanwhile the state continues to witness light to moderate rainfall at most places with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall for the second day on Tuesday.
The continuous downpour in the last two days in Manipur has dampened not only the Diwali cheer but also affected the shopping activities for upcoming-Ningol Chakkouba, the greatest festival of Manipur which falls on October 27.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) also predicted light to moderate rainfall at few places with isolated heavy rainfall in Nagaland, Manipur Mizoram and Tripura on October 26.
The concerned officials of the state have also been alerted to take up all precautionary and relief measures as and when required in the state, according to an official in Imphal.