West Bengal’s popular hill station, Darjeeling, has been struck by one of the most severe landslide tragedies in the past ten years. Relentless rainfall caused devastating landslides across the district and neighboring Jalpaiguri, resulting in at least 23 fatalities, including children, and numerous injuries.
The catastrophic events have led to the complete isolation of some villages, the destruction of houses, and the blockage of crucial roads and communication lines. This has left hundreds of tourists stranded in the affected areas, facing widespread devastation.
Key Updates from the Tragedy:
- Death Toll Rises: At least 23 people have tragically lost their lives in the landslides that have impacted Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts. An NDRF official confirmed the grim toll.
- Mirik and Darjeeling Hit Hardest: Darjeeling district alone reported 18 deaths, with Mirik being the most severely affected area, accounting for 11 fatalities. Seven more deaths were reported from subdivisions like Jorebunglow, Sukia Pokhri, and Sadar Police Station areas. In Jalpaiguri district, five bodies were recovered from debris in Nagrakata.
- Alarming Situation: North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha described the situation as ‘alarming’. The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) reported landslides at 35 locations across the Darjeeling region, known as the ‘Queen of the Hills’, according to its chief executive, Anit Thapa.
- Worst Disaster Since 2015: Officials are terming this the worst landslide disaster since 2015, when nearly 40 lives were lost. The current events have seen entire slopes collapse, vital roads like the Mirik-Sukhiapokhri route blocked, and highways buried under mud.
- Tourists Stranded: Hundreds of tourists, many visiting from Kolkata, Howrah, and Hooghly for the Durga Puja holiday, are trapped in hill stations like Mirik, Ghoom, and Lepchajagat due to the continuous heavy rainfall that began on Saturday night.
- Severely Hit Road Connectivity: The NDRF has reported significant disruption to road connectivity across Darjeeling and North Sikkim. A critical iron bridge connecting Siliguri to the Mirik-Darjeeling route has also been damaged, cutting off major access points.
- CM Mamata Banerjee’s Response: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held an emergency meeting and announced her visit to North Bengal on Monday, October 6, to assess the damage. She described the situation as ‘grave’, attributing the crisis partly to overflowing rivers from Bhutan due to incessant rain and stating that natural calamities are beyond control. Over 300 mm of rainfall was recorded in 12 hours, triggering landslides and floods at numerous sites.
- PM Modi Expresses Grief: Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his condolences over the tragedy and stated that the central government is closely monitoring the situation.
- IMD Forecast: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued alerts for extremely heavy rainfall in sub-Himalayan West Bengal, including Darjeeling and Kalimpong, through October 6. Red alerts are in effect for Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri, and an orange alert for Darjeeling district, with warnings of further landslides and road blockages due to saturated soil.
- Nepal Rainfall Impact: Heavy rains in neighboring Nepal have also caused landslides and flash floods, resulting in 52 deaths in a 24-hour period. Meanwhile, rescuers safely guided hundreds of trekkers stranded by a blizzard near Mount Everest in Tibet.
Related Links
- From India’s Darjeeling to Mount Everest: Dozens Dead, Hundreds Stuck in Himalayan Rain, Snow, Landslides
- Harrowing video of collapsed iron bridge in West Bengal’s Darjeeling amid heavy rain, landslides
- Mamata Banerjee calls Kolkata downpour unprecedented: ‘Never seen rain like this’
- Delhi, Gurugram, Ghaziabad receive rain; IMD issues orange, yellow alerts