Kohima: A massive landslide in Mon killed eight people on July 19. It hit at 6:00 am after heavy overnight rain. Survivors recount a nightmare. Houses crumbled into mud.
Resident Chempai Konyak heard a loud roar. He initially mistook the sound for an aeroplane. The catastrophe leveled a neighborhood that had grown from dense forest to 60 households over the years. Eight people died: four men and four women. Two bodies remain missing.
Hetwang, a local resident, survived the slide but lost his entire family. He watched his mother drown in mud. He saw his brother waving for help before he vanished. “Hetwang witnessed everything with his eyes,” Konyak said. Hetwang’s father, brother, and best friend, Pangho Konyak, were among the dead. Pangho was a student at Wangkhao College.
The disaster left Mon isolated. Landslides blocked all major roads to Aboi, Tizit, Wakching, and Phomching. Power lines snapped. Communication networks remain unstable.
Thousands joined the search mission. Estimates suggest 10,000 to 20,000 people arrived on foot to help. Assam Rifles, local police, and disaster management teams scoured the debris. Dr. Tialila Kikon, principal of Wangkhao College, reported that the institution suffered five or six landslides on its grounds. Restoration work continues. The college hopes to resume classes by July 29.
Naokhao, a cousin of Hetwang, confirmed the family’s devastation. Rescuers found the bodies of the mother and brother at the hospital. They recovered the father the next day. Hetwang continues to struggle with the loss of his home and his family. The community remains in shock.
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