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India quarry collapse traps seven as cyclone deaths reach 23

Downpours brought by cyclone Remal caused a collapse in a stone quarry in India's state of Mizoram, killing 15 people and trapping 7, while 8 more passed away in landslides and other mishaps in other places in the remote area, authorities said.

Weather authorities stated the effective cyclone had actually compromised into a depression after devastating local shorelines the previous day, when it killed at least 16 and cut power to millions in parts of eastern India and neighbouring Bangladesh.

But harsh weather was hindering efforts on Tuesday to rescue at least 7 people trapped in the quarry on the outskirts of Aizawl, the capital of northeastern Mizoram, disaster management officials said.

There have been incessant rains in the wake of cyclone Remal, which caused the quarry collapse, among them told , speaking on condition of privacy.

Seven more individuals were eliminated in landslides in Mizoram, which shares a border with Bangladesh, while a falling tree killed someone in nearby Assam, authorities stated, as schools and colleges shut.

Authorities in India's eastern state of West Bengal were working to bring back electrical energy in the worst-affected locations, after Remal stripped power lines and rooted out trees.

Remal is the very first of the frequent storms expected to pound the low-lying coasts of the South Asian neighbours this year as climate modification increases sea surface area temperatures.

Numerous parts of seaside Bangladesh have no electricity and telecoms links, officials said, however teams were working to bring back power as quickly as possible.

Mass evacuations substantially minimized potential casualties, but the storm left a trail of destruction, said disaster management chief Mijanur Rahman, including that damages can not be totally approximated unless interactions are restored.

(source: Reuters)