Kohima: A prayer and candlelight service was held at Konyak Baptist Church, Mon (KBCM) on Sunday to remember the victims of the catastrophic landslide that struck Defence Colony in Mon town on July 19.
Organised by Konyak Baptist Church Mon, the service brought together government officials, community leaders, church members and residents to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the tragedy.
Addressing the gathering, Deputy Commissioner of Mon, Wennyei Konyak, expressed gratitude to KBCM for organising the memorial service and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families and those injured in the disaster. He encouraged them to remain strong and seek God’s strength and comfort as they rebuild their lives.
The Deputy Commissioner also expressed solidarity with the families of the two victims whose bodies remain unrecovered despite six days of continuous search and rescue operations carried out by government agencies and local volunteers using all available resources.
Calling for unity in the aftermath of the disaster, he urged residents to work together to rebuild the town and prepare for future emergencies. He commended the efforts of the 42 Assam Rifles, Nagaland Police, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), non-governmental organisations and volunteers from various wards for their dedicated service during the rescue operations.
He also thanked the state government, led by Chief Minister Dr Neiphiu Rio, and all nine elected representatives from Mon district for their support during the crisis.
During the service, Yinai, husband of the late Pomei and the lone survivor of his immediate family, shared a moving testimony. Minister C.L. John and his wife also attended the programme.
Short speeches were delivered by Konyak Union president Yamao Konyak, Konyak Students’ Union president Temwang Konyak and the president of the Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF).
The programme concluded with a message of hope and a candle-lighting ceremony led by Rev H. Moba Konyak, pastor of Konyak Baptist Church, Mon.