Bengal floods: 28 dead, dozens missing as rain ravages Darjeeling hills

Relentless overnight rainfall lashed northbound Bengal's hills and plains Saturday nighttime and aboriginal Sunday, unleashing landslides, washing distant bridges and flooding towns from Darjeeling to Cooch Behar. At slightest 28 radical died - astir of them successful the elevation presumption of Mirik - and dozens remained missing arsenic rescue teams struggled to scope distant areas chopped disconnected by the deluge.Darjeeling recorded 261 mm successful 24 hours from 8 americium Saturday, classified arsenic 'extremely dense rainfall', portion Cooch Behar logged 192mm and Jalpaiguri 172mm. Gajoldoba (Jalpaiguri) reported 300mm of rain. The worst devastation was reported from Mirik, Jorebunglow, Maneybhanjang, Sukhiapokhri and Falakata.With 13 dead, tourer municipality of Mirik severely hit, nonstop nexus to Siliguri chopped offThirteen bodies were recovered successful Mirik, known for its Sumendu water and views of Kanchenjunga. Ten others, including tourer Himadri Purkayet from Kolkata, were missing till Sunday evening. Officials warned that the toll whitethorn emergence erstwhile teams scope the precocious hills.PM Narendra Modi expressed grief connected societal media: “Deeply pained by the nonaccomplishment of lives owed to a span mishap successful Darjeeling... The concern is being intimately monitored successful the aftermath of dense rainfall and landslides.

We are committed to providing each imaginable assistance.”

The downpour destroyed captious links: an robust span connected Balasan stream astatine Dudhia — the lone nonstop way betwixt Siliguri & Mirik — collapsed, isolating adjacent communities. Another span astatine Pulbazar was severely damaged, cutting disconnected Thanaline and parts of Bijanbari. Rohini Road, a large connector betwixt Darjeeling and the plains, besides caved in. NH10, the lifeline to Sikkim, was unopen astatine Chitrey aft landslides.

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway suspended work indefinitely.Flash floods and landslides turned post-Durga Puja holidays successful northbound Bengal into a hopeless combat for survival. Hundreds of tourists crossed Dooars, Kalimpong, and Darjeeling are stuck successful elevation resorts and wildlife zones. They reported powerfulness outages, mediocre connectivity, and washed-out roads. Some clung to ziplines oregon ropes to transverse torrents. “Water currents were truthful beardown we had to signifier a quality chain,” said Kolkata nonmigratory Priya Banerjee, who walked 4 hours earlier uncovering a vehicle.In Sisamara, businessman Saurav Palit and his household slogged 6km done mud and floodwater, and aboriginal paid Rs 4,000 for a 30-minute thrust to Falakata. In Jaldapara, immoderate waded waist-deep done rising waters earlier being rescued — a fewer adjacent ferried retired connected elephant back. “We were stranded each time earlier wood officials brought elephants utilized for safaris to instrumentality america done flooded rivers to safer ground,” said Senjuti Ghosh from Kolkata, present staying successful an Alipurduar edifice until her bid location Tuesday night.

Authorities unopen each tourer spots and appealed to visitors to enactment enactment until assistance arrived. Darjeeling SP Praween Prakash urged travellers to travel authoritative constabulary updates connected societal media. “Check advisories earlier venturing out,” helium said.Travel chaos rippled crossed the region. Tourists trying to scope New Jalpaiguri presumption and Bagdogra airdrome missed trains and flights.CM Mamata Banerjee held an exigency virtual gathering with apical officials and determination leaders, including Siliguri politician Gautam Deb and GTA main Anit Thapa, and announced she would sojourn the catastrophe portion Monday.

“Several areas successful some northbound and southbound Bengal person been flooded owed to abrupt immense rainfall and excessive stream waters from Bhutan and Sikkim,” Banerjee posted connected X. “Rainfall exceeded 300mm successful 12 hours past night.

I convey my heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and person ordered contiguous assistance.”She directed closure of each tourer sites successful affected areas & released exigency helpline numbers from the Nabanna power room, assuring tourists that rescue costs would beryllium borne by the state.By Sunday afternoon, Army units and NDRF teams joined authorities agencies successful rescue and restoration. With Mahananda, Jaldhaka and Teesta rivers moving supra information levels, elephants, rhinos, deer, and bison were seen fleeing submerged forests.(With inputs from Suman Chakraborti, Debashis Konar, Basabdatta Sarkar, Nisha Chhetri & Srishti Lakhotia)