NEW DELHI - At least 24 people were killed and many others injured after incessant rains triggered landslides in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, officials said Monday.
The landslides hit the picturesque Darjeeling town, about 626 km north of Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal, on Sunday and swept away homes, cutting off roads and isolating villages.
The tragedy wreaked widespread devastation and left hundreds of people, especially the tourists, stranded in the Himalayan foothill township.
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The communication networks have also been snapped.
According to officials, Darjeeling received heavy rain Sunday night, leading to landslides in several areas, including Mirik and Sukhia Pokhari, prompting police and disaster management officials to launch a rescue operation.
Landslides have led to roadblocks on key routes, including the road connecting Sikkim and the one linking Darjeeling and Siliguri.
Officials have shut tourist spots in Darjeeling, including the Tiger Hill and Rock Garden, to prevent any untoward incident. The toy train services have also been suspended, reports said.
Residents and tourists have been asked to be careful and keep themselves updated on road and weather conditions.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday evening chaired an emergency meeting and announced that she would personally visit the affected areas on Monday.
"The situation is grave. Due to incessant rain in Bhutan, water has overflowed into North Bengal. This disaster is unfortunate; natural calamiti
es are beyond our control," Banerjee told a local news channel. "Over 300 mm of rainfall was recorded in just 12 hours, triggering landslides and floods across at least seven sites."
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Heavy rain has also affected other areas in north Bengal, such as Jalpaiguri, Siliguri, and Cooch Behar, leading to waterlogging in several areas.
Television images showed rivers in full spate, damaged bridges and washed-out roads.
The India Meteorological Department issued an alert for extremely heavy rainfall in sub-Himalayan West Bengal, including Darjeeling and Kalimpong, valid through Monday. A red alert remains in effect for Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri, and an orange alert for the Darjeeling district. The department has also warned of more landslides and road blockages due to saturated soil.
