Heavy rainfall in Darjeeling trigger landslides, 36 killed

Deep Gazmer,TNN | Jul 1, 2015, DARJEELING: Three days of pounding rain triggered mudslides in Darjeeling late Tuesday night, killing at least 36 people and snapping power and communication lines. Dozens are reported missing and hundreds of off-season tourists are stranded in the Hills. 

People were clawing through mud and debris with their bare hands to rescue trapped victims or retrieve bodies. Paramilitary forces have rushed to their aid but with roads and bridges cut off, it is almost impossible to transport heavy equipment to remove fallen trees, boulders and concrete. With power cut off, cellphones cannot be charged, making communication even more difficult. The crisis could get worse with heavy rain forecast for the next five days. 

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee cut short her Birbhum administrative meeting on Wednesday morning and headed for North Bengal from Murshidabad. The state home secretary is already in Darjeeling to coordinate relief and rescue operations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolence to the families of the victims and announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the dead. Minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju has been asked to visit the affected locations. GTA chief executive Bimal Gurung visited affected areas in Mirik and announced Rs 2 lakh compensation for the kin of those killed and Rs 50,000 to those injured. 

The maximum casualties occurred in Saureni gram panchayat, located along the road to Mirik via Dudhia. At least 20 people were killed here, crushed by debris that hurtled down the hillside and smashed houses. "The victims were killed in their sleep. No one had a chance to escape," said a local. Eight bodies had been recovered till reports last came in — three of them are from Takling Limbugaon, four from Groundgaon and one from Toklanggaon. There were reports of seven more deaths in Mirik. 

In Kalimpong, seven are feared dead and one was reported killed in Rangbang bustee in Jorebungalow. "We have recovered 28 bodies so far but the toll may rise," Darjeeling SP Amit Javalgi had said early evening. 

It was a disaster waiting to happen. The torrential downpour since Sunday evening had led to rapid and massive soil erosion along the hill slopes. By Tuesday, there were ominous signs — mud-streams springing up all over the Hills. But the administration failed to read the signs. The threshold point was breached past midnight on Tuesday when the intensity of rain increased. The huge volume of water mixed with wet loose earth, causing it to liquefy quickly. This slush turned into a killer as it hurtled downhill, sweeping up boulders, trees and other debris along the way, before smashing into homes. 

The Sashastra Seema Bal and state police have begun rescue operations at Mirik, Kalimpong and Sukhiapokhri. "Our priority is to rescue people and provide them medical aid. The biggest challenge is to get through to the worst hit areas amid incessant rain," North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb said. Darjeeling district magistrate Anurag Srivastava said the administration had sought Army's help to restore road connectivity. 

The Rakti Bridge, connecting Mirik with Siliguri, has collapsed near Simulbari. A portion of NH-55 has been washed away at Kharey Khola, cutting off Kurseong and Siliguri from Darjeeling. Traffic to the plains (Siliguri) is being diverted via Bagora. Landslides in Rohini and Pankhabari — the two alternative routes to Siliguri — paralyzed vehicular movement to and from the Hills for several hours. A mudslide at Malli on NH 10 affected traffic movement to Sikkim from Darjeeling. 

"Roads have been damaged at several places. We are trying to transport earth removing equipment to the affected areas so that they can clear the debris and reopen roads," said Srivastava. "We are in close coordination with GTA and travel agencies. Medical and rescue teams are in Mirik," said ADM Rachana Bhagat. 

Regional meteorological centre director G C Debnath warned that the situation could get worse because heavy rain will continue for at least five more days. "Continuous heavy rainfall causes mudslides. We have issued an alert to the Darjeeling administration," he said. Kurseong has received 185.30 mm rain in the last 24 hours, Kalimpong 137 mm, Siliguri 92.40 mm and Darjeeling 42.30 mm. 

While Darjeeling faces a crisis, a flood threatens Jalpaiguri. The Teesta river is in spate, sweeping away houses in Dhupguri and Biren bustee. The water is flowing over the danger mark, forcing the administration to begin evacuating settlements along the river.