Floods And Landslides In Darjeeling India Kill 18 People

The condition of refugees/DOK PHOTO via X @MamataOfficial

JAKARTA - Floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains in India's eastern hilly area, Darjeeling, killed 18 people after homes, roads, and bridges were swept away.

Meanwhile, the death toll in Nepal's neighboring countries rose to 50.

Some people are still missing on Monday, October 6, while relief and recovery efforts are ongoing, said local government officials in India's West Bengal state, warning the death toll is likely to rise as information continues to flow from remote areas.

"Two iron bridges collapsed, several roads were damaged and flooded, the vast land was submerged," said the Head of State Minister, Mamata Banerjee, in a post on X.

"The districts of Darerjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaijuri, and Alipurduar, which are the locations of tea plantations, are among those affected," he added.

Rain is expected to fall more after heavy rains last weekend in Darjeeling, said H R Biswas, head of the regional weather forecast agency in the state capital, Kolkata.

The highway traffic was disrupted because some of the iron bridges above the Replaton River that connect the city of Siliguri on the plains with the hilly city of Mirik collapsed due to heavy rains, and many roads collapsed.

A large number of debris was scattered on the road, said a local disaster management official, making it difficult for rescue teams to reach many places in these remote areas.

The Himalayan hills resort, Darjeeling, is famous for its tea and attracts tourists with spectacular views of Mount Kanchenjunga, the world's third-highest peak. Panerjee appealed to tourists to stay until they were safely evacuated.

Across the border in Nepal, the death toll from floods and landslides rose to 50, 37 of which were in separate landslides in the eastern district of Islam bordering India, a spokesman for the Armed Police said.

Rescue teams excavated mud and debris in the district, looking for survivors, as well as clearing blocked roads after landslides swept away homes in several villages, district officials of Bholanaath Guagain said.