At least 20 people have been killed and scores are missing after heavy rainfall lashed the Himalayan region of West Bengal on Saturday night, triggering large-scale landslides in the districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong. Parts of the Terai region of the state also witnessed flooding as the water level rose in the rivers.

An iron bridge on the Teesta collapsed, severing the road link to neighbouring Sikkim as well as Kalimpong from the rest of the region. A bridge between Mirik and Dudhia has also collapsed, cutting off the road link to Siliguri.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who held a high-level meeting at the state secretariat Nabanna, launched a 24×7 control room and said she was monitoring the situation personally. She is scheduled to visit the affected hill districts on Monday.

Expressing her deep worry, the chief minister, in a post on her X handle, described the situation as “grave”, and wrote: “There was a sudden rainfall, exceeding 300 mm in 12 hours in North Bengal, and there was simultaneously excessive flow of water into the Sankosh river from Bhutan and Sikkim. This caused disasters.”

“Two iron bridges have collapsed. Several roads have been damaged and flooded. Huge tracts of land in the districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar have been inundated. There have been reports of worrying damages and losses, particularly in Mirik, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Matigara, and Alipurduar,” the chief minister added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed condolences over the deaths and said the situation in Darjeeling and the surrounding areas was being closely monitored. “The situation in Darjeeling and the surrounding areas is being closely monitored in the wake of heavy rains and landslides. We are committed to providing all possible assistance to those affected,” Modi said in a post on X.

Initial reports from rescue teams, including the NDRF and local police, stated that most fatalities were from the Mirik sub-division in Kurseong district. Additional Superintendent of Police (Kurseong) Abhishek Roy said that while seven bodies have been recovered, two more deaths have been confirmed in the district.

“Rescue and search operation is on. A landslide occurred at Dilaram on the Kurseong road that goes to Darjeeling. That road has been blocked. The condition of Pankahabri Road is extremely bad. Tindharia road is functioning right now. We are trying to evacuate all the tourists in Mirik in three to four hours through Tindharia,” Roy told The Indian Express.

According to officials, thousands of tourists, who had arrived during the Puja vacation, are stranded in the Himalayan region.

In an advisory, Darjeeling Police urged travellers to avoid all unnecessary journeys and remain alert, and check only verified sources for updates.

The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has ordered the immediate closure of all major tourist sites, including Tiger Hill and Rock Garden, until further notice.

“Efforts are on to clear the roads, and normal traffic is expected to resume shortly. Tourists who are stranded or require assistance may contact the Darjeeling Police Control Room at +91 91478 89078 or may also message through WhatsApp,” the police advisory stated.

Both NH 10 and NH 717A, the main arterial roads to the region, are blocked by multiple landslides. “The key road from Darjeeling to Siliguri is blocked at Dilaram. Rohini Road is completely closed as it has partially collapsed towards the river. Panbu road to Kalimpong, however, is open. The Tindharia road is currently functioning for limited evacuation. A massive landslide has washed away the bridge connecting Pulbazar to Thanaline,” an official said.

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista said the downpour has also hit the Terai region with widespread waterlogging and flooding. “In the Terai belt, Siliguri, Matigara, Naxalbari, and Phansidewa have suffered waterlogging. In Khoribari, Naxalbari areas, a flood-like situation prevails,” Bista shared on X.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in the sub-Himalayan region of the state, including Darjeeling and Kalimpong, till Monday, warning of more landslides and road blockages due to saturated soil conditions.