President Droupadi Murmu, the chief of state, voiced her sorrow after Tuesday’s heavy rains and landslides tore through West Bengal’s Darjeeling hills. She posted on X that the loss of lives is “distressing” and she sent condolences to grieving families, hoping for quick recovery of the injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi echoed the mood, saying he is “deeply pained” by the bridge collapse in Mirik that claimed nine lives, and he promised that the centre will give all help it can to the victims of the disaster.
Officials report that 13 people have died in the North Bengal hills since the overnight downpour started Saturday night. The toll includes nine people who fell when an iron bridge collapsed over the Murgi road in Mirik. Four more lives were lost in landslides on the Sukhia road in the district’s high‑altitude region.
The rains have smashed several roads and cut off communication with Sikkim and Kalimpong, as the Teesta river surged over danger levels and swept away the whole of NH‑10. Even Darjeeling city’s links with the rest of the state have gone down.
Tourists are stranded in many popular spots, so the local administration has shut all tourist sites and told visitors to stay put in their hotels. Rescue teams are still on the move, but the new weather outlook warns of further heavy rain over the next two days, which could make the situation harder for rescuers.
The Meteorological Office in Kolkata’s Alipore had signalled this warning earlier, and the continuous rain that began Saturday night has already caused havoc across the hill districts. The state authorities remain on high alert as they coordinate relief and recovery efforts.
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