From Manipur over 2,000 people fled to Mizoram to seek shelter

Aizawl: More than 2,000 people have escaped from Manipur to Mizoram and sought refuge in the state following communal violence in the neighboring state, a senior official of the state’s home department said on Monday.

A total of 2,056 internally displaced persons have entered Mizoram from Manipur and have taken shelter in different parts of the state till Monday evening, said state Home Commissioner and Secretary H Lalengmawia.
He said that Saitual district, which borders Manipur, has the highest number of displaced people from the neighboring state at 827, followed by Kolasib district of Assam at 757.
Apart from this, 402 people have fled to Aizawl district, while 59 people have taken refuge in Champhai district of eastern Mizoram near the Myanmar border, four in Serchhip district and 7 others in Khawzawl district, he said.

The senior official said ethnic Zo (Mizo) people are sheltered by their local relatives and the government is making massive efforts to provide temporary shelters.
Another official also said that a large number of displaced people are housed in makeshift camps set up by villages.

According to Lalengmawia, another 86 state residents stranded in Imphal have been evacuated from the state on Monday.
He said 34 people reached Aizawl by bus after landing at Guwahati airport on Sunday, while the remaining 52 people were airlifted from Imphal via Kolkata.

He said that on Tuesday, another 29 people would be taken to Guwahati, from where they would be picked up by bus.
The senior official also said that the government is making massive efforts to evacuate the remaining 68 residents of the state, who are still stranded in the neighboring state.

On Monday, at least 45 state residents, mostly students, were successfully shifted to the state from Imphal and Churachandpur.