Heavy rainfall and associated landslides affected West Bengal’s Darjeeling region on Sunday, resulting in reported fatalities and significant infrastructure damage. An iron bridge over the Balason River at Dudhia, connecting Siliguri and Mirik, collapsed, causing traffic disruptions. While the precise number of casualties was not officially released, local reports indicated at least six confirmed deaths in Mirik attributed to the landslides. Raju Bista, Member of Parliament for Darjeeling, acknowledged the reported loss of lives and properties.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a red alert on Saturday for sub-Himalayan districts, including Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar. Subsequent warnings for Sunday included a red alert for Alipurduar and an orange alert for heavy rainfall in Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Jalpaiguri. A nowcast from RMC Kolkata also maintained a red alert for extremely heavy rain in Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar until 12 noon.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/heavy-rain-landslides-hit-west-bengals-darjeeling-several-dead-iron-dudhia-bridge-collapses-101759636787758.html