In the midst of widespread destruction, officials reported that at least 20 people, including children, were killed on Sunday when unrelenting rain caused one of the worst landslides in ten years across the Mirik and Darjeeling hills. The landslides swept away homes, cut off roads, isolated villages, and left hundreds of tourists stranded.

Reports from the district government and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) indicate that fatalities were reported from a number of sites, including Nagrakata, Sarsaly, Jasbirgaon, Mirik Basti, Dhar Gaon (Mechi), and the Mirik Lake area.

North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha described the situation as “alarming”. “As of now, the death toll is 20. It is likely to go up,” Guha told PTI.

The NDRF reports that seven injured individuals ha

See Full Page