West Bengal Floods: Death Toll Rises to 28 as Darjeeling Devastated by Landslides

Catastrophic Rainfall Triggers Widespread Destruction

West Bengal floods have claimed at least 28 lives, with dozens still missing, after torrential overnight rainfall triggered devastating landslides across Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and surrounding hill districts on October 4-5, 2025. Torrential rain in Darjeeling recorded 261mm in 24 hours from Saturday morning, classified as extremely heavy rainfall by the India Meteorological Department.

The weather in West Bengal shows 300mm of rainfall in just 12 hours on Saturday night, causing unprecedented flooding across the North Bengal plains and hills. Other severely affected areas recorded Cooch Behar 192mm, Jalpaiguri 172mm, and Gajoldoba 300mm during the same period.

Darjeeling District Devastation

Darjeeling floods have caused the most severe damage, with 13 bodies recovered from Mirik alone and tourist Himadri Purkayet from Kolkata among the missing. Heavy rain in Darjeeling triggered nearly 100 landslides, including 35 major ones, completely disrupting transportation and isolating communities.

Darjeeling landslide incidents occurred across multiple locations:

• Mirik: 13 confirmed deaths, 10 missing, including tourists

• Sarsaly, Jasbirgaon, Mirik Basti: Multiple fatalities reported

• Dhar Gaon (Mechi), Nagrakata: Additional casualties confirmed

• Sukhiapokhri, Jorebunglow, Maneybhanjang: Extensive damage reported

Dudya Iron Bridge Collapse

Dudya iron bridge collapse has severed the critical connection between Mirik and Kurseong, isolating the tourist town from Siliguri. The Dudhia iron bridge over the Balason River collapsed at 2:30 AM, taking two houses with it and killing occupants who had no time to escape the rapidly rising waters.

Additional infrastructure damage includes:

• Bijanbari-Pull Bazar bridge collapsed, cutting off Chungtong and Merrybong

• Multiple bridges in the Dooars region were swept away

• National Highway 10 is blocked at Chitrey due to heavy landslides

• Rohini route is severely damaged and closed indefinitely

North Bengal Connectivity Crisis

North Bengal floods have effectively cut off Sikkim, with National Highway 10 completely blocked and most district roads closed due to landslides. The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has closed all tourist spots until further notice for visitor safety.

Transportation disruptions include:

• Siliguri-Darjeeling SH-12 road restricted after bridge collapse

• Hill Cart Road from Kurseong is temporarily operational pending clearance

• Main roads at Dilaram and Whistle Khola are blocked by debris

• Tourists stranded in multiple locations with rescue operations ongoing

Emergency Response and Government Action

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will visit Darjeeling on October 6 to assess damage and coordinate relief efforts. A 24x7 control room has been established at Nabanna state secretariat with emergency helpline numbers activated for rescue coordination.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams deployed across affected areas, with the highest alert level declared for Alipurduar district. Army units have joined state agencies in ongoing rescue and restoration operations as rivers continue flowing above danger levels.

Bhutan Dam Overflow Adds Flood Risk

Tala Hydropower Dam in Bhutan began overflowing Sunday morning due to a river inflow surge from 200 to 1,260 cubic meters per second, raising additional flood risks for North Bengal districts. West Bengal authorities received warnings about downstream flooding affecting Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar districts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives, stating that authorities are closely monitoring the situation and are committed to providing all possible assistance to the affected areas.