Cyclone Remal has caused widespread destruction in Nagaland, resulting in the deaths of four individuals and significant damage to over 40 houses, according to a senior official. The cyclone has also severely damaged a crucial bridge on NH 2 near E Service Station between Viswema and Jakhama, leading to the suspension of heavy vehicle traffic on this route.
Among the fatalities, a seven-year-old boy drowned in Laruri village under the Meluri subdivision, and two other drowning incidents were reported at Doyang Dam in Wokha district. In Phek district’s Rekizu ward, an elderly man was tragically crushed to death by a collapsing wall.
The Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority or NSDMA has received reports of extensive damage to properties across the State, including in Chuchuyimlang village in Mokokchung district, Noksen subdivision in Tuensang district, and Awotsakili village in Zunheboto district. The NSDMA has deployed personnel from the National Disaster Response Force or NDRF for rescue and relief operations, utilising an underwater drone for search efforts for the first time in the State’s history.
The relentless rainfall has also triggered mudslides in Kikruma village in Phek district. Cyclone Remal, which made landfall around midnight on Sunday, hit the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh with devastating wind speeds before affecting Nagaland.
Due to the damage on NH 2, passenger and light motor vehicle operators are advised to avoid this route until further notice. The public is requested to cooperate with the precautionary traffic advisory.
Nagaland has been profoundly impacted by Cyclone Remal and the ensuing monsoon season, as indicated by reports from the NSDMA. On the night of May 25, nine households in Chuchuyimlang village, Mokokchung district, were severely affected by a heavy windstorm. On May 24, 36 households in Noksen subdivision, Tuensang district, experienced significant damage, and a house in Awotsakili village, Zunheboto district, was completely destroyed.
The NSDMA has coordinated with the NDRF, SDRF, DDMA Wokha, and local volunteers in ongoing search and rescue missions. In another incident, a 73-year-old man was killed by a collapsing retaining wall in Rekizu ward, Pfutsero, Phek district, while his wife sustained injuries. Additionally, incessant rains caused a mudslide in Kikruma village, Phek district.
