After two days of devastation in north Bengal, roads reopen, but wounds run deep

Darjeeling/Siliguri: Two days after torrential rains and massive landslides ripped through the hills and foothills of north Bengal, leaving at least 30 people dead and several missing, life in the region is slowly crawling back to normalcy, though the scars of devastation are far from fading.

As the skies finally cleared on Tuesday morning, weary residents in Darjeeling caught a fleeting glimpse of the snow-capped Kanchenjunga, a sight of solace after two days of torment.

The rain had stopped, and rescue teams, many working round the clock, continued search operations while others toiled to restore broken roads and washed-away bridges.

The death toll, which rose to 30 by Monday evening, is likely to climb further, North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha told PTI, adding that "at least four persons are still missing and search operations are underway in remote landslide-hit zones".

For thousands of tourists stranded across the hills, a few reopened routes provided a safe passage for their return to their homes.

The Hill Cart Road and Pankhabari Road, two lifelines connecting Darjeeling to Siliguri, were restored after emergency repair works, allowing visitors to finally begin their descent to the plains. But other stretches remained treacherous.

"Though the situation is improving, travel is still risky in parts," said Darjeeling Superintendent of Police Praveen Prakash, who inspected a broken bridge near Dudhya earlier in the day.

"The bridge collapse has snapped the Mirik route. We are facilitating movement through Hill Cart and Pankhabari roads instead," he said.

The state government said relief and restoration efforts were being carried out "with full vigour" across every affected district.

"Rescue workers involved in bridge and road repairs near rivers have been equipped with life jackets, gruel kitchens have been opened, and safe drinking water is being provided to the affected areas," a government statement said.

All key departments, including Public Works, Public Health Engineering, Disaster Management, and the North Bengal Development Department, have been put on high alert, with officials and police personnel camping on the ground to expedite restoration.

But for locals, the return to normal life seems a distant dream.

In several areas of Mirik, Bijanbari, and Sukhia Pokhri, roads remain clogged with debris. Families who lost homes now spend their nights in temporary shelters, schools, relief camps, and even roadside tents.

"We heard the mountain roar before dawn, then everything went dark," said a tearful Pemba Sherpa from a hamlet near Sukhia Pokhri, who lost his brother when their house was swept away.

"I found him hours later, buried under mud. I don't know what to do now, there's nothing left." At Dudhya, a bridge connecting Mirik to Siliguri was washed away, cutting off several tea garden settlements, where relief workers are reaching mostly on foot or through improvised ropeways.

Rohini Road, which had briefly opened on Sunday, was shut again after fresh cracks appeared along the slopes.

In Kalimpong, Lava, and Gorubathan blocks, small roads remain partially blocked as boulders continue to tumble down.

The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) said repair work was progressing across several zones but warned that full connectivity could take weeks to restore.

"Most roads in Bijanbari and Sukhia Pokhri are being repaired," a GTA official said.

"Traffic has resumed on the Sonada-Munda and Milling roads, but smaller village roads remain risky. Heavy rainfall over the weekend has destabilised several slopes," he added.