At Least 20 Dead As Heavy Rains Trigger Landslides in Darjeeling, Roads Blocked, Rescue Ops Underway

Darjeeling: At least 20 people have died, and several are missing, after heavy rainfall in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district and surrounding areas caused landslides, resulting in the collapse of a bridge and the closure of several roads.

The landslides, waterlogging, and road blockages have disrupted traffic on multiple routes, leaving people, including tourists, stranded.

A landslide at Dilaram on Kurseong Road has blocked the main route to Darjeeling, while Rohini Road is also affected. The Dudhia Bridge in Mirik has collapsed due to the rain. Tindharia Road remains open, and authorities are evacuating tourists from Mirik via this route.

Rescue Operations Underway

Rescue teams from the police and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are on-site, and vehicle movement on the Siliguri-Darjeeling SH-12 road has been restricted due to the collapse of a portion of the Dudhia iron bridge.

"Our personnel are engaged in intensive rescue and relief operations to locate missing persons and assist stranded villagers," NDRF Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Mohsen Shahedi told ANI.

Earlier in the day, Abhishek Roy, Additional SP of Kurseong, said that the remains of seven individuals have been recovered from the debris.

"We have information about two more people. Efforts are underway to recover their bodies as well. A landslide at Dilaram on Kurseong Road, which leads to Darjeeling, has blocked the route. Rohini Road is also blocked due to a landslide at Gourishankar. The condition of Pankhabari Road is extremely poor. Tindharia Road is operational, and we are working to evacuate all tourists in Mirik within three to four hours via Tindharia," Roy said.

In a post on X, the West Bengal Police stated, "Due to heavy rainfall last night, landslides have occurred on some roads in Darjeeling, affecting traffic movement. Our teams are working to clear the roads, and normal traffic is expected to resume soon. Stranded tourists or those requiring assistance may contact the Darjeeling Police Control Room at +91 91478 89078."

ADG & IG of North Bengal Police, Rajesh Kumar Yadav, inspected the collapsed Dudhia Bridge in Mirik.

He said, "The situation is slowly returning to normalcy. Rescue operations are underway. Some routes have been opened and made operational. People living in affected areas have been shifted to safer locations."

Darjeeling DM Preeti Goyal, who visited the affected areas, said, "I came to assess the damaged Dudhia Bridge. We have discussed restoration plans with the Superintendent Engineer and the Executive Engineer of PWD. Hopefully, connectivity will be restored soon to minimize inconvenience."

Local administration officials, assisted by the NDRF and state disaster response teams, are rescuing stranded villagers. Several families have been evacuated from high-risk areas and moved to temporary shelters. Power supply and mobile networks have also been disrupted in some regions.

IMD Forecast

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast continued rainfall in parts of north Bengal over the next 24 hours, warning of potential landslides and flash floods in hilly terrains. The West Bengal government has placed the district administration on high alert and instructed all departments to coordinate with central agencies for effective disaster response.

'Authorities Are Closely Monitoring the Situation': PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep concern over the heavy rainfall and landslides in Darjeeling, offering condolences to families who lost loved ones and wishing the injured a speedy recovery. He assured that authorities are closely monitoring the situation.

In a post on X, the PM said, "Authorities are closely monitoring the situation in Darjeeling and surrounding areas affected by heavy rainfall and landslides. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. Wishing the injured a quick recovery."

In a separate post on X, he said, "Deeply pained by the loss of lives due to a bridge mishap in Darjeeling. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The situation in Darjeeling and surrounding areas is being closely monitored in the wake of heavy rains and landslides. We are committed to providing all possible assistance to those affected."

President Murmu Condoles Loss of Lives

President Droupadi Murmu also expressed condolences for the loss of lives and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

In a post on X, she wrote, "The tragic loss of lives due to heavy rain and landslides in Darjeeling, West Bengal, is distressing. I express my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the success of rescue and relief operations and wish a speedy recovery to those injured."

Darjeeling and its adjoining hill regions are prone to landslides during the monsoon season due to fragile terrain and years of deforestation. The landslides have disrupted vehicular movement and severed communication links to several nearby areas.

Also Read: 'Nature of War Has Changed': Jaishankar Cites Ukraine-Russia, Israel-Iran Conflicts in 'Turbulent Times', Reflects on US-China Ties