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Two people died as giant boulders came crashing down a hill and completely crushed two cars due to a landslide in Nagaland this evening.
Three others suffered serious injuries in the accident that occurred around 5 pm amid heavy rains on National Highway 29 in Chumoukedima district, between Dimapur and Kohima. The identity of the victims is not known yet.
After completely crushing the two cars coming from the Kohima side, one of the boulders goes on to topple another car, showed the horrific footage captured on a dashboard camera of a car waiting behind.
While one person died on the spot, another died during treatment at a hospital, news agency PTI reported citing officials. Another person is still stuck inside one of the cars and rescue work in on, the report claimed citing cops.
The place where the accident occurred is known as "pakala pahar" and is infamous for landslides and rockfalls, according to Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who condoled the loss of lives in a tweet.
"Today, rockfall on the National Highway at around 5pm between Dimapur & Kohima caused serious damage, including death to 2 persons & serious injury to 3 others. This place has always been known as "pakala pahar"; known for landslides & rockfalls," he tweeted.
The Chief Minister said his government is taking all necessary steps to provide emergency services and necessary medical help to the injured. A financial assistance of ₹ 4 lakh has also been announced for the families of each victim.
"The State Govt. will continue to pursue with the GoI & @nhidcl to take immediate steps for safety infra. at the dangerous locations all along the highway. It concerns the life & safety of our citizens. The agency concerned must put the required safety infrastructure in place," he said in a thread.
"With the advancement of technology in India and the resources available to the GoI, there should be no compromise in ensuring safety of our citizens," added the Chief Minister.