Toll in landslides, flood in north Bengal rises to 28, rescue ops on as several remain missing

Darjeeling/ Siliguri/ Kolkata: The toll in the devastating landslides and floods in northern West Bengal rose to 28, 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 is likely to go up.

"The situation remains extremely challenging. Till now, we have reports that 28 people have died. A few more bodies were recovered since last night. The deaths were reported from both Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts. Continuous rainfall is hampering the rescue operations," he told PTI.

Speaking to reporters at the Kolkata airport before leaving for Siliguri, the largest town in north Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called the floods and the ensuing destruction "man-made".

She announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of those who died in the floods and landslides, besides offering a job as a home guard to one member of the bereaved families.

"We have so far received reports of 23 people who have died in the north Bengal floods. The region received over 300 mm of rainfall, sustaining for over 12 hours on Saturday night and early Sunday," she said.

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

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.