Toll rises to 32, several still missing: Mamata Visits Injured BJP MP at Hospital and Assesses Relief Efforts in Landslide-Hit Mirik

PTI, Kolkata, October 7, 2025: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the hospital to meet with the injured BJP Member of Parliament (MP) and interacted with locals in landslide-hit Mirik. During her visit, Banerjee expressed her condolences and offered support to the families affected by the devastating rains and flash floods that claimed dozens of lives in the region.

Mamata met with the injured BJP MP, offering assurances to his family that the government would extend all necessary help. "If you need any assistance or further treatment elsewhere, please let me know," she reportedly said. However, it remains unclear whether she met BJP MLA Sankar Ghosh, who was also admitted to the hospital following an attack. Ghosh and Mamata have had a strained relationship due to several verbal confrontations in the past, particularly in the Assembly.

While the BJP welcomed Mamata's gesture of visiting the injured MP, they expressed concerns over the lack of arrests, with 24 hours passing since the attack without any suspects being detained. "We have nothing to say apart from that. This is a courtesy visit. But it is really appalling that even after 24 hours, the police have not made any arrests, and the culprits who assaulted Murmu and Ghosh are roaming free," said Samik Bhattacharya, the state BJP president.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack, calling it "outright appalling" and a reflection of the "absolutely pathetic law and order situation" in West Bengal. Mamata, however, hit back, accusing Modi of politicizing a natural disaster instead of supporting the people during their time of distress. The attack followed torrential rains, which triggered flash floods and landslides, leaving 32 people dead and several others missing across northern Bengal.

The attack on the two BJP leaders has further intensified tensions between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP, with both sides engaging in a war of words as rescue and relief operations continue across the flood-hit hills and plains.

Meanwhile, Mamata also visited the landslide-affected areas of Mirik and met with families who had lost loved ones in last week's devastating rains. She handed over compensation cheques to the next of kin of the deceased and assured them of full government support. "The state government stands beside the people of the hills in this hour of grief. We have already announced compensation for the bereaved families and financial aid for those who lost their homes," the Chief Minister stated.

Mamata's visit was accompanied by senior ministers and officials, including Chief Secretary Manoj Pant. The Chief Minister also reviewed the ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts being carried out by local authorities and instructed them to expedite the restoration of road connectivity in the region.

The official toll from the landslides and floods in North Bengal has risen to 32, with search and rescue operations still underway as several people remain missing. Udayan Guha, the North Bengal Development Minister, confirmed that 32 bodies have been recovered so far, and six people are still missing. "Our teams are working around the clock in the challenging terrains to locate them," Guha said.

Among the deceased are two persons from Nepal and Bhutan. The landslides, triggered by heavy rains on October 5, affected areas in the Darjeeling hills and the Dooars region at the foothills. Some of the worst-hit areas include Mirik, Sukhiapokhri, Jorebunglow in Darjeeling, and Nagrakata in Jalpaiguri district. Hundreds of tourists who were visiting the region during the Durga Puja vacation remain stranded in isolated hill pockets as rescue teams, led by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), work to reach them.