17 dead, roads cut off as heavy rain and landslides hit Darjeeling
Several people were killed in Darjeeling district after a landslide struck in Jasbir village near Mirik following continuous heavy rainfall
Darjeeling: Atleast 17 people were killed in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district after a landslide struck in Jasbir village near Mirik following continuous heavy rainfall since Saturday evening.
The Dudia Iron Bridge, which connects the district towns and tourist hotspots of Mirik and Kurseong, has also collapsed due to heavy rainfall. Vehicular movement along the route has been completely suspended. Residents living near the river are tensed as water levels continue to rise, while police from the Garidhura outpost are on-site monitoring the situation.
Due to heavy rain, a landslide has been been reported from Hussain Khola, which lies along National Highway 110 near Kurseong, cutting off the link between Siliguri and Darjeeling.
Heavy rainfall has also affected Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, and Coochbehar, leading to waterlogging in several areas.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued two red warnings at 12:40 am and 03:40 am on October 5 for all six districts of Sikkim, predicting moderate thunderstorms with lightning, heavy rains, and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph. By 06:40 am, the IMD upgraded the warning to orange alert.
The IMD had forecasted rainfall in the region since September 30, likely to continue until October 7. Officials have also warned that downstream flash floods may occur in North Bengal due to the situation in Bhutan.
