Several landslides in West Bengal's hilly region of Darjeeling killed at least two, including a six-year-old girl, reports said on Thursday. Heavy rainfall and gusty winds triggered landslides across districts in North Bengal.
As per media reports, at least two people were killed in separate landslide-related incidents. While a six-year-old girl was reportedly buried alive when a huge rock fell on her in Darjeeling's Lower Gok area, a thirty-two-year-old excavator driver, Pranit Jogo, was also killed as debris fell on him in Charchare Bari Jamuney.
Quoting IMD sources, The Telegraph reported that the rainfall was recorded at 72mm in Darjeeling, 64mm in Siliguri and 63mm in Malda in the 24 hours till Wednesday morning.
Several places in Darjeeling witnessed roadblocks due to multiple landslides. “Minor landslides occurred in wards 5, 12, 13, 14 and 23. The Tenzing Norgay Road in Darjeeling was blocked for a couple of hours in the morning because of landslides. The quick response team from the civil defence department cleared the debris in the afternoon,” The Telegraph reported, quoting a source.
The heavy rainfall also caused a landslide at Swetijhora, which is about 35km from Siliguri on NH10.
Owing to the natural disaster, a house sustained damage at the Takdah in Rongli Rongliot block as a tree fell on it due to heavy rain and strong winds, The Telegraph reported, while a report by The Times Of India mentioned that two tourism department quarters were affected due to the landslides on Monday, causing damage to 10 houses.
Ten families had been displaced due to the landslide on Monday and had been accommodated in a nearby hotel.
