A seven-year-old boy was killed and four members of his family injured after a rain-triggered landslide collapsed on their house in Meghalaya’s Ri Bhoi district on Monday, police said on Tuesday.
The accident occurred at around 4am in Ulamamphlang village under Mahati constituency when part of the rain-soaked hills collapsed on the house of Stolin Khimdet (father of the deceased) while the family was sleeping.
The police said that the deceased, identified as Binhun Omba (7 years old), was seriously injured and died instantly.
His father, Khimdit (40 years old), and three of his brothers, Bensekhem Omba (16 years old), Ebani Omba (13 years old), and Sfira Omba (8 years old), were also injured in the accident.
Police said they were admitted to Umtree Primary Health Center for treatment.
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Giri Prasad M, Superintendent of Police, Ri Bhoi, said that preliminary investigations revealed that the landslide was caused by heavy rains during the night.
“Today early in the morning around 4am, due to heavy rainfall, a landslide occurred which fell on the house of Shri Stolin Khimdit in Ulamamphlang village while the family was sleeping. One of his sons, the late Binhun Umba, aged seven years, was seriously injured and died on the spot, while the father and three other children sustained injuries and were taken to Umtre Primary Health Center for medical observation,” the service provider said.
The police said that an investigation was conducted in the presence of family members and local witnesses. However, the family refused to conduct a post-mortem examination, dismissing suspicions of foul play behind the child’s death.
“The family members strongly opposed the autopsy and submitted a written prayer seeking relief before the executive magistrate, saying there was no crime,” he said.
The CEO granted an exemption from the autopsy, and the child’s body was handed over to the family for final ceremonies.
The incident comes amid continuing rainfall in several parts of Meghalaya, with authorities closely monitoring the situation as the incessant rains have increased the risk of landslides and floods in vulnerable areas.
