Five dead, several missing as stone quarry collapses in Mizoram amid rains

Aizawl: Five people died and several others were missing as a stone quarry collapsed in Mizoram's Aizawl district amid incessant rains on Tuesday morning, police said.

The incident happened around 6 am in an area between Melthum and Hlimen on the southern outskirts of the Aizawl town, they said.

Five bodies have been recovered, while several others are still trapped under the debris, a police officer said.

Heavy rains were affecting the rescue operations, he said.

The rains triggered landslides at several places in the state, officials said.

Aizawl has been cut off from the rest of the country due to a landslide on National Highway 6 at Hunthar, they said.

Besides, several intra-state highways have also been disrupted by landslides, they added.

Because of the rains, all schools were closed and government employees, except those involved in providing essential services, were asked to work from home.