Darjeeling: West Bengal Police, NDRF on war footing as heavy rain triggers landslides

Darjeeling (West Bengal) [India], October 5 (ANI): The West Bengal Police on Sunday said that landslides triggered by overnight heavy rain in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal have affected traffic movement on several roads, leaving people, including tourists, stranded.
Heavy rainfall in North Bengal has triggered landslides and severe waterlogging, leading to extensive damage, road blockages, and loss of lives in several districts, including Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri.
In a post on X, the West Bengal Police said, "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 shortly. Tourists who are stranded or require assistance may contact the Darjeeling Police Control Room at +91 91478 89078."
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 posted on X, "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."
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..."
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 after a portion of the Dudhia iron bridge collapsed due to incessant rainfall.
NDRF has deployed multiple teams in the rain-battered Mirik area of Darjeeling subdivision after torrential downpours triggered massive landslides and left several villages cut off from the rest of the region.
According to NDRF Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Mohsen Shahedi, three teams have already been mobilized 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.
Continuous heavy rainfall since last night has caused large-scale destruction in parts of Darjeeling district, particularly in 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)