Two persons killed, 3300 houses destroyed in storm in Mizoram

Two persons were killed and three others were injured while 3300 houses including more than 10 churches were destroyed rendering some 5000 people homeless in the storm that lashed Mizoram, disaster management and rehabilitation departments officials said here today.

Two persons were killed and three injured in the severe storm that lashed Serchhip and Mamit districts on Tuesday night and yesterday morning, the officials said adding that the storm accompanied by hail storm hit all the eight districts of the state.

The Kolkata-Aizawl Air India flight today failed to land as heavy rainfall lashed Aizawl and surrounding areas when the plane was circling the Lengpui Airport near here and was forced to return to Kolkata, Air India officials said.

The officials said that around 70 houses were damaged in the storm this morning in Aizawl district. 

Environmentalists here attributed the destructive jhum fires that claimed eight lives during the past two months since February seven and followed suit by unprecedented devastating pre-monsoon storm to degradation of forests and global warming.