Toll in Darjeeling landslides rises to 24, rescue operations on as several people remain missing

Darjeeling: The toll in the devastating landslides in West Bengal's Darjeeling district rose to 24, as disaster management personnel continued the rescue operation on Monday with several people still missing and thousands of tourists stranded in cut-off hill pockets, officials said.

North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha said the toll rose with the recovery of one more body late Sunday night.

"The situation remains extremely challenging. Several people are still missing, and the toll is likely to go up. Continuous rainfall is hampering the rescue operations," he told PTI.

The landslides, triggered by over 300 mm of rain in just 12 hours, have ravaged the Darjeeling hills and the Dooars region at the foothills, officials said.

Among the worst-affected areas are Mirik, Sukhiapokhri and Jorebunglow in Darjeeling, and Nagrakata in Jalpaiguri district, they said.

The rescue operations, led by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), were continuing across multiple sites, with heavy earth-moving machinery being used to locate people feared trapped under mounds of debris, they added.

"Clearing operations are underway at more than 40 landslide points. Our teams are working around the clock to reopen the Mirik-Darjeeling and Sukhiapokhri roads," an official said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to visit the affected areas later in the day.

The district administration has set up relief camps in coordination with the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and local NGOs, an official said.

"Food, blankets, medicines, and drinking water are being provided to all displaced families," he said.

An official of the GTA, the semi-autonomous body that administers the Darjeeling hills, said road connectivity to several hamlets remained severed even 24 hours after the disaster.

"Entire slopes have caved in, bridges washed away, and large portions of roads are buried under mud. Helicopter sorties may be needed to reach some interior villages," he said.

Hundreds of visitors who had travelled to the hills for Durga Puja vacations remained stranded as the arterial roads to Siliguri at the foothills were blocked.

Efforts are being made to help them reach Siliguri in batches via alternative routes, an official said.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall may continue in the region till Tuesday morning, with an alert issued for Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, and Cooch Behar districts, an IMD official said.

"Given the saturated soil and ongoing rain, the risk of fresh landslides remains high," he said.