Heavy rains trigger landslides in North Bengal: Death toll reaches to 7; NDRF rescues over 105

Darjeeling (West Bengal) [India], October 5 (ANI): The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Sunday conducted flood and water rescue operations in the flood-affected areas and evacuated over 160 people following the heavy rains, which triggered landslides in Darjeeling and the surrounding areas in West Bengal.
According to the rescue team, a total of 105 people were evacuated by boats, while another 55 were rescued via zip lines in Jalpaiguri. The team also recovered one deceased individual during the operations.
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall in Darjeeling and its surrounding areas triggered landslides, resulting in the collapse of a bridge, seven fatalities, two missing persons, and the closure of multiple roads.
According to Abhishek Roy, Additional SP, Kurseong, "7 dead bodies have already been recovered from the debris. We have information about two more people. Work is being done to recover their bodies too. A landslide occurred at Dilaram on the Kurseong road, which leads to Darjeeling. That road is blocked... Rohini Road is also blocked due to a landslide at Gourishankar... The condition of Pankhabari Road is extremely poor... Tindharia road is functioning right now. We are trying to evacuate all the tourists in Mirik in three to four hours through Tindharia..."

President Droupadi Murmu expressed grief over the loss of lives in a bridge mishap in Darjeeling, caused by heavy rain and landslides. She offered condolences to the bereaved families, wished a speedy recovery to the injured, and prayed for the success of ongoing rescue and relief operations.
In a post on X, President Murmu 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."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also posted on X, saying, "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 the 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."
Soon after the incident, District Magistrate Preeti Goyal of Mirik, Darjeeling, inspected the damaged Dudhiya Bridge.
"I came to see the damaged Dudhiya Bridge. We have discussed with the Superintendent Engineer and the Executive Engineer of PWD on how to restore connectivity. Hopefully, we will restore it soon so that people do not face any inconvenience," she said.
The police and local authorities are working to evacuate tourists from Mirik through Tindharia Road within the next few hours.
A team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been deployed to assist in rescue operations, while the movement of vehicles has been restricted on the Siliguri-Darjeeling SH-12 road following the collapse of a portion of the Dudhia iron bridge due to incessant rainfall.
The NDRF has deployed multiple teams in the rain-battered Mirik area of the Darjeeling subdivision after torrential downpours triggered massive landslides, leaving several villages cut off from the rest of the region.
According to NDRF Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Mohsen Shahedi, three teams have already been mobilised from Darjeeling, Siliguri, and Alipurduar, while two more teams, one each from Malda and Kolkata,are on their way to the affected sites. "Our personnel are engaged in intensive rescue and relief operations to locate missing persons and assist the stranded villagers," Shahedi told ANI.
Reacting to the tragic loss of lives due to the bridge collapse, former Foreign Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Vardhan Shringla expressed his condolences, saying, "I have already expressed my deepest condolences to those people who have lost their loved ones... There is also extensive property damage, and lots of roads have been cut off... Today, all of our hills... are experiencing very abnormal climate change-oriented consequences. We have to take preventive measures in terms of aforestation."
Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tweet on the loss of lives due to a bridge mishap in Darjeeling, Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Vardhan said, "PM Modi's tweet has been very encouraging; his message has touched the hearts of the people of Darjeeling. His concern is the matter of reassurance to people, and given his leadership, there will be a lot of follow-up actions and steps taken to ameliorate the situation..."
West Bengal BJP President Samik Bhattacharya criticised the Mamata government, saying that the Chief Minister should have stood with the people of North Bengal.
"This is not a time for happiness. The Chief Minister should have left the carnival today and stood with the people of North Bengal. If anyone expects a humanitarian approach from this government, they are mistaken. The NDRF is deployed in North Bengal, and the Home Minister and Prime Minister are taking updates every moment. The sensitivity expected from a Chief Minister during such a natural disaster is missing," the West Bengal BJP President said.
Speaking to ANI on the tragic incident, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said that the state government should hold a meeting with experts to prevent similar incidents in the future.
"It's very sad that when people gather to celebrate festivals, such incidents occur... A study is needed to determine why these types of landslides occur so frequently. The state government should hold a meeting with experts to address the situation and prevent similar incidents in the future," Majumdar said.
Continuous heavy rainfall since last night has caused large-scale destruction in parts of the Darjeeling district, particularly in the Mirik and Sukhia Pokhari areas, where roads and houses have been washed away. The landslides have also disrupted connectivity on several routes, including key rural link roads, hampering access to relief operations. (ANI)