Gone In Seconds: Nagaland Government Building Collapses After Landslide
Tuensang, Nagaland: A government building in Tuensang collapsed on Thursday morning after a landslide triggered by prolonged and heavy rainfall, bringing down the already-vacated District Transport Office (DTO) building at Post Office Ward.
Fortunately, there were no casualties, as the building had been declared unsafe and evacuated before the collapse.
The DTO building had been showing serious signs of structural damage for some time. Following a structural and technical inspection, Deputy Commissioner and DDMA Chairman Lithrongla Tongpi Rutsa issued an emergency demolition order on July 23, warning of the risk of an imminent collapse amid incessant rainfall.
The DTO office was subsequently shut from July 24. As a result, services such as driving licence issuance, vehicle registration, tax collection, permits and other motor vehicle-related work were temporarily suspended.
The collapse comes as the monsoon continues to cause severe damage across Tuensang district. According to the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA), 49 families had been evacuated since July 19 due to landslides and land subsidence. This included 44 households living below the DTO building and five families from Post Office Ward and Bazar A Ward.
The situation around the DTO area had become increasingly dangerous, with land subsidence reportedly continuing at an estimated rate of six to eight inches every day. Two other unsafe structures had already been dismantled, while work to demolish the DTO building was underway.
The Disaster Response Force under PWD (Housing) had been authorised to carry out the emergency demolition. Authorities also restricted entry to the area, barring the public and unauthorised individuals from approaching the site to prevent further risk.
For families forced to leave their homes, relief camps have been established at Tuensang Town Hall, while emergency assistance is being provided to those affected.
With the monsoon continuing to batter the region, authorities remain on alert as landslides and ground movement pose a growing threat to homes, public buildings and infrastructure across the district.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
