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Rediff.com  » News » Landslide cliams 7 lives in Guwahati

Landslide cliams 7 lives in Guwahati

By K Anurag in Guwahati
July 19, 2007 20:06 IST
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Seven people were killed in a landslide triggered by heavy downpour early Thursday at Ganeshnagar hill top in Guwahati city.

The police said six bodies were recovered so far while one body was still trapped inside the debris of a house that collapsed under the pressure of the sliding landmass.

The rescue team of the district administration was still trying to recover the seventh body.

The four of the bodies were identified that of Govinda Deka (42), Minati Deka (35), Bhonita Deka (17), Dhrubajyoti Deka (20). Bodies of one male and one female were yet to be identified.

A city police official quoting neighbours informed that there were four guests at the three-member family of Govinda Deka last night. The house that gave away under the pressure of land slip belonged to one Swapan Roy who let it out to Govinda Deka and his family.

According to an eyewitness, the house was probably an illegal construction on the hill that is fraught with the danger of landslide during the monsoon season because of the heavy rainfall.

Rapidly increasing population in the city has led to rampant encroachment of forest areas on different hillocks in an around the city.

Deaths due to landslides have become a routine phenomenon every monsoon in the city as the encroachers living on hills do not heed the warnings of the district administration against living dangerously on those unstable hills.

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K Anurag in Guwahati