One dead as rains trigger landslides in north Bengal’s Darjeeling and Kalimpong

SILIGURI: Landslides triggered by heavy rainfall killed a villager and damaged many houses in parts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts in north Bengal, officials said on Thursday.
The deceased was identified as Raghubir Rai, 78, a resident of Bijuwa village in the Sukhia Pokhari community block of Darjeeling. He died on Thursday morning when boulders destroyed a portion of his home.
“Rai died on the spot. Four other members of his family had a miraculous escape,” Uday Dewan, a sabhasad of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, said.
Night-long rain also resulted in fresh landslides along National Highway 10, which is the lifeline of Sikkim and Kalimpong. The boulders were, however, removed with earthmovers within hours.
“Landslides were reported from six locations along the Mirik-Sukhia Pokhari- Darjeeling state highway as well. The boulders have been removed,” said Dewan.
A recently built bridge at Balwabans near Darjeeling town with assistance from the local Hamro Party was also inundated.
Twelve families affected by landslides at Kaijaley in the Bijanbari community block were shifted to safer places during the day, officials said.
At Jamuney, a popular tourist spot on the outskirts of Darjeeling town, a park was inundated. “All streams in and around Jamuney have flooded due to continuous rainfall. Roads leading to Jamuney are closed,” Lacheng Tamang, a local resident, said.
Kalimpong district magistrate Balasubramaniam T said they were monitoring the situation.
In Jalpaiguri district, many villages were inundated. Residents of Chamakdangi village in Dabgram 1 gram panchayat area left for government shelters after the Teesta river washed away their homes.