11 dead, at least 10 injured in Mirik: Gorkhaland Territorial Administration member asks Centre to declare national calamity in Darjeeling

Darjeeling (West Bengal) [India], October 6 (ANI): Arun Sigchi, an Executive Member of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, Darjeeling and Kalimpong, on Monday confirmed 11 dead and at least 9 injured in Mirik, out of the 18 casualties after a massive landslide in West Bengal's Darjeeling.
Speaking to ANI, Arun Sigchi demanded that the Centre declare the landslide amid heavy rainfall in Darjeeling a national calamity and provide assistance to the locals here.
He said, "This is very tragic. There was continuous rainfall since the evening, but the damage was caused by the heavy rainfall at night. It rained about 200 mm and felt like a cloudburst. In Mirik, there are 11 casualties, out of these, five were in the Mirik Municipality area and six in the Mirik block area."
He said that the water diverted towards the village as the road was blocked due to a boulder
"As the road was blocked due to a boulder, the water got diverted towards the village. Four people in the same house died on the spot, while two died while being taken to the hospital. Two people were later rescued from the debris after about an hour. There were three casualties in ward number 3 in Mirik, and the bodies were taken out by an NDRF team. There was one casualty each in ward number 1 and 9, and two casualties in Mirik Basti Jasbirgaon," he told ANI.
"Nine to ten people were injured in Mirik. GTA has handed over the bodies of the deceased after the post-mortem. The weather is unpredictable, and the people are frightened," Sigchi added.
He requested assistance from the Centre and stated that rescue operations are underway.
The GTA official said, "Rescue operations are underway. There are three relief camps in Mirik, and we are looking for rehabilitation. We request the Centre and State governments to declare it a national calamity. If we want to save the mountains, the government should cooperate. I request that the Central government provide assistance. There has been no progress in the Teesta rehabilitation project while the State government is trying hard (to provide assistance)."
Noting a total of 18 casualties amid the landslide, he stressed the massive property damage, including the Dudhia bridge in Darjeeling.
"In Darjeeling, 18 casualties have been reported. There were four casualties in the limits of the Jorebumglow Police Station, two others at Sukhia Pokhri and one in Sadar PS. The Dudhia bridge, constructed in the 1970s, has been completely damaged. There has been massive damage to property. Pokhriabong and Ragbang, famous for the homestays, have been totally damaged. Three to four bridges have been damaged. There has been a loss of agriculture as water filled in," he said.
The relentless rain triggered flash floods and landslides in Darjeeling and the surrounding areas of West Bengal.
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.
According to the rescue team, a total of 105 people were evacuated by boats, while another 55 were rescued via zip lines in Jalpaiguri. (ANI)