24 Dead, Infrastructure Crippled

Heavy, continuous rainfall has triggered a series of massive landslides across the Darjeeling hills and surrounding regions, resulting in one of the worst natural disasters in the area in a decade. Authorities have confirmed at least 24 fatalities, including several children.

Casualties and Impact

The incessant rain led to landslides that flattened homes, destroyed critical infrastructure, and left hundreds of tourists stranded.

Fatalities: Casualties were reported in multiple locations across Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts, including Sarsaly, Jasbirgaon, Mirik Basti, Dhar Gaon (Mechi), the Mirik Lake area, and Nagrakata.

Scale of Disaster: Officials noted that the catastrophe is the most severe since the 2015 landslides, which claimed nearly 40 lives in the region.

Transportation and Infrastructure Disruption

The disaster has severely damaged the region’s transport network, almost completely cutting off communication between the hills and the plains of Siliguri, Terai, and Dooars.

Bridge Collapse: The Dudia Iron Bridge, a vital link connecting the tourist towns of Mirik and Kurseong, has collapsed.

Highway Closures:

National Highway (NH) 110, which connects Siliguri and Darjeeling, is blocked near Kurseong due to a landslide at Hussain Khola.

NH 10, running from Siliguri to Sikkim, has been closed because of rising water levels in the Teesta River following the heavy downpour.

Weather Alert and Government Response

The North Bengal region, including the sub-Himalayan districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar, remains under a red alert for extremely heavy rain until Sunday morning. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is involved in rescue and relief efforts.

Political Response: West Bengal’s Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, highlighted the severe disruption of transport and communication links due to the heavy rainfall and flooding in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong.

Prime Minister’s Message: Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sadness over the tragedy. He offered his condolences to the bereaved families and assured that the situation is being closely monitored, promising all possible assistance for those affected.

The visual evidence from the scene shows roads buried under thick layers of mud from villages up to the national highways, along with a broken bridge and settlements collapsing into the debris flow.

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