At least 26 residents of Mizoram, including 11 children, who were stranded on the India-Myanmar border, were brought back to Mizoram on Sunday night, an official of Champhai district administration said.

Additional deputy commissioner of Champhai district Mark Lalthanliana told The Telegraph that the residents, who had gone to visit their relatives in Myanmar long before the international border was sealed, were stranded and held on a bridge over the Tiau river that connect Zokhawthar in Mizoram’s Champhai district with Rih in Myanmar for a night (Saturday).

They were brought back to Zokhawthar around 10pm on Sunday and sent for quarantine at District Panchayat Resources Centre in Champhai’s Keifantlang, he said.

Mizoram shares a 510km unfenced border with Myanmar. People on either side of the border are visiting each other frequently due to the free-movement regime.

On March 22, the Mizoram government had sealed its border with Myanmar and Bangl-adesh, prohibiting movement of people and essential commodities across the border.

Lalthanliana said the 26 people were from different parts of the state and a majority of them belong to Aizawl.

He said the Myanmar army put them on the bridge but were refused to enter Mizoram as Assam Rifles, which guarded the border sealed the gate, which could be opened on only instruction of the Union home ministry.

The intervention of the home minister Lalchamliana and transport minister T.J. Lalnuntluanga, who is also the MLA of Champhai North constituency under which Zokha-wthar falls, has led to the release of the stranded people.

He said Zokhawthar village-level task force on Covid-19 and YMA volunteers provided them tarpaulin and foods during their stay on the bridge on Saturday night.