The District Transport Office (DTO) building at Post Office Ward, IOC Colony, in Tuensang collapsed at around 8:15 am on Thursday following weeks of continuous rainfall and land instability in the area. No injuries or damage to nearby structures were reported.
The building had earlier been declared structurally unsafe. Following a structural and technical inspection, Deputy Commissioner and Chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Tuensang, Lithrongla Tongpi Rutsa, issued an emergency demolition order on July 23 after the structure was found to have suffered severe damage and faced a risk of imminent collapse.
The DTO was subsequently closed from July 24, suspending services including driving licence issuance, vehicle registration, tax collection, permits and other motor vehicle-related services.
The DDMA began dismantling the structure on July 25, gradually reducing and shifting loads to direct any potential collapse away from the valley side. The measures were taken after land instability was observed, with saturation levels reportedly reaching around 70%.
The Disaster Response Force under PWD (Housing) was authorised to undertake the emergency demolition, while public and unauthorised entry into the area was prohibited for safety reasons.
The prolonged monsoon has affected several parts of Tuensang district. According to the NSDMA, 49 families have been evacuated since July 19 due to landslides and land subsidence. Of these, 44 households were from below the DTO area, while five families were from Post Office Ward and Bazar A Ward.
Two other unsafe buildings had also been dismantled earlier, while land subsidence near the DTO area was continuing at an estimated rate of six to eight inches per day.
Relief camps have been established at Tuensang Town Hall, and emergency relief assistance has been provided to affected families.