West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Monday cut short his personal visit to Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and rushed to landslide-hit Darjeeling, a senior official said. The toll in the devastating landslides in Darjeeling district has risen to 24, as disaster management personnel continued rescue operations on Monday, with several people still missing and thousands of tourists stranded in cut-off hill pockets. Bose would supervise the rescue operations and talk to the affected people, he said. "Governor Bose has flown back from Tirupati this morning and is heading towards Darjeeling. He will be visiting the landslide-affected areas in Mirik and supervising the rescue and rehabilitation efforts," the Raj Bhavan official told PTI. The governor is also coordinating with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and taking regular updates regarding the situation in Darjeeling, he said. Bose will also submit a report in the evening with specific recommendations to the competent .
At least 23 people, including children, were killed as relentless rain triggered one of the worst landslides in a decade in Darjeeling hills and adjoining areas on Sunday, sweeping away homes, cutting off roads, isolating villages, and leaving hundreds of stranded tourists amid widespread devastation, officials said. According to reports compiled by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the West Bengal's Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri district administrations, fatalities were reported from several locations - Sarsaly, Jasbirgaon, Mirik Basti, Dhar Gaon (Mechi), Mirik Lake area and the Nagrakata area in Jalpaiguri district. According to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), a total of 18 people have died in Darjeeling, with 11 fatalities in Mirik, the worst-hit area, and seven more in the Darjeeling subdivision, including Jorebunglow, Sukia Pokhri, and Sadar Police Station areas. In a separate rescue operation in Nagrakata, located in the nearby Jalpaiguri district, five
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the loss of lives and damage caused by heavy rains in Nepal is distressing and asserted that as a friendly neighbour and first responder, India remains committed to providing any assistance that may be required. At least 40 people have been killed in different places of eastern Nepal till Sunday morning and five have gone missing due to landslides and floods triggered by downpour since last night. Of 40 deaths, 37 were reported from different areas of Ilam district in Koshi province due to landslides following heavy rainfall on Saturday night, Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said in a press release. In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said, "The loss of lives and damage caused by heavy rains in Nepal is distressing. We stand with the people and Government of Nepal in this difficult time." "As a friendly neighbour and first responder, India remains committed to providing any assistance that may be required
At least 40 people have been killed in different places of eastern Nepal till Sunday morning and five have gone missing due to landslides and floods triggered by downpour since last night. As many as 37 people were killed in different places of Ilam district in Koshi province due to landslides following heavy rainfall on Saturday night, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said in a press release. Of the 37, eight people each were killed in Deumai and Maijogmai municipalities, six each in Ilam municipality and Sandakpur rural municipality, five in Suryodaya municipality, three in Mangsebung and one in Fakfokthum village, according to the NDRRMA. One person died in Panchthar due to landslide and one each were killed in Khotang and Udayapur districts as they were swept away by floods, said the official. Four people have gone missing from Rasuwa district as they were swept away by floods. A person buried in landslide in Panchthar district has also gon
Several people are feared dead following landslides in parts of Mirik in Darjeeling district due to incessant heavy rain, a senior police officer said on Sunday. The official said that rescue and relief operations are currently underway, with local administration, police, and disaster response teams rushing to the spot. "Several casualties are feared due to a major landslide in Darjeeling district triggered by heavy rainfall since last night. We don't have the exact figures right now as the rescue and relief work has just started," the officer told PTI. Unconfirmed reports claimed 11 people have died in the landslide. The officer added that continuous rainfall has made it difficult for earthmovers and emergency vehicles to reach the affected site. "The terrain is slippery and there are reports of several houses being damaged. The extent of damage is yet to be ascertained," he said. According to preliminary information, the landslide occurred near one of the hill slopes on the ...
Chief Minister also held discussions with the district collector to assess the situation and directed Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena to visit Gajapati and oversee relief operation
A fresh spate of rain-related incidents has hit Himachal Pradesh after multiple landslides were reported on Friday, further disrupting life in the state, which has been hit hard by torrential rains during the past few months. After a landslide struck near a prominent school in Shimla on Friday, which forced the administration to order the closure of the institution for two days, another such disaster struck Kangra district. Tourist destination McLeodganj in the district was cut off following a massive landslide near a church. The landslide in the hill station blocked vehicular traffic, causing difficulty for the commuters. In Shimla, the landslide occurred in the Himland area near the St. Edwards School, one of the oldest schools here, prompting the administration to order the closure of the institution for two days Friday and Saturday. Circular road, the lifeline of Shimla, was closed at Himland throughout the day following the landslide. The traffic was diverted via Sanjauli Roa
Nearly 12,000 km of road length, including the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, suffered damage in the recent floods and landslides in the Union Territory, officials said. Restoration work on the damaged Udhampur-Ramban stretch is going on a war footing and expected to be restored by this evening, they said. "Out of the total road length of 42,000 km, around 12,000 km suffered damage due to recent flash floods," Principal Secretary, Public Works Department, Anil Kumar Singh said. He said this while giving a presentation about the overall road infrastructure maintained and damaged in floods before Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary here on Monday. Officials of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) gave a presentation on restoration work on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway and said that it has suffered major damages in the Udhampur-Ramban stretch, which will be restored, while on the Dhar-Udhampur stretch, traffic will move one way beginning Tuesday. They also appr
A woman was killed in a landslide while four other members of her family are feared to have been buried under the debris in the Nirmand area of Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district. Two houses were completely damaged following the landslide triggered by heavy rains around 1:30 am on Monday night in the Sharmani village of Ghatu panchayat in the district. One body has been recovered and four other members of the family are feared trapped in the rubble, said gram panchayat pradhan Bhoga Ram on Tuesday. The deceased woman has been identified as Brasiti Devi, wife of Shiv Ram While Chunni Lal, Anju, Jagriti and Pupesh are still missing and search operations are underway in the village, he said. Three people -- Dharam Das, his wife Kala Devi and Shiv Ram -- sustained serious injuries and were rushed to Nirmand hospitals by the villagers. He said that the administration and the office of sub-divisional magistrate have been informed about the tragedy, and the villagers were engaged in search
The team, led by Director Dr Virendra Singh, travelled by road to inspect damaged locations on the ground and interact with local authorities on the scale of destruction
The report recorded 4,784 houses fully or partially damaged, along with losses to shops, cowsheds, agricultural and horticultural crops, and educational and health infrastructure
Himachal Pradesh has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 4,079 crore following cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains from June 20 till September 7, officials said on Sunday. So far 366 people have died in rain-related incidents and road accidents in the state. Out of the 366 people, 203 died in rain-related incidents, including 42 deaths in landslides, 17 in cloudbursts and nine in flash floods, while 41 are still missing while accidents claimed 163 deaths, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC). A total of 6,025 houses and 455 shops/factories have been fully or partially damaged. The frequency of landslides is increasing with each passing day and 135 major landslides, 95 flash floods and 45 cloudbursts have ravaged parts of the state since the onset of monsoons on June 20. A total of 869 roads, including three national highways -- NH -3 (Mandi-Dharampur road), NH-5 (Old Hindustan-Tibet road) and NH-305 (Aut-Sainj road) -- are blocked for
The pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir remained suspended for the 11th consecutive day on Friday. The yatra was suspended after a landslide on August 26 claimed 34 lives and left 20 others injured.Though the weather has improved significantly with the sun shining brightly after ten days of heavy rains, flash floods, and landslides, the authorities are yet to take a call on resuming the yatra. Yatra is still suspended. This is due to the decision taken by authorities last week, keeping in view the safety of pilgrims, an official said. The decision to resume the yatra will be taken at an appropriate time after assessing all aspects, the official added. The suspension is the longest since the COVID-19 restrictions, with authorities prioritising pilgrim safety and conducting restoration work on the damaged pilgrimage track and commercial structures in Katra. The landslide at Adhkuwari in the Trikuta hills of the Katra belt on Augu
At first glance, the easy culprit to pinpoint is growing indiscriminate urbanisation
Taking note of the unprecedented landslides and floods in states such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the Supreme Court on Thursday sought responses from the Centre, NDMA and others and said illegal felling of trees led to the disasters. A bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran also issued notices to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI) as well as the governments of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab. It was responding to a plea alleging illegal felling of trees as a key reason for such disasters. The bench listed the plea filed by an Anamika Rana for hearing after two weeks and asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to ensure remedial measures. We have seen unprecedented landslides and floods in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. From the media reports it is noticed that in the flood a huge number of wood was flowing along. Prima facie it appears tha
Rescue and relief are underway as swollen rivers flood roads, with army, NDRF, SDRF, and authorities working to aid affected areas and restore normalcy
Seven people died in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in landslides, while flood-hit Punjab received another spell of torrential rain on Monday, leading to the closure of all schools and colleges in the state. In Jammu and Kashmir, amid heavy rainfall in Katra town, the pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine remained suspended for the seventh consecutive day since a landslide on a yatra route claimed 34 lives last Tuesday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Modi government is committed to ensuring the rehabilitation of those affected by recent floods in Jammu and Kashmir, as he undertook a whirlwind tour of a worst-hit area in Jammu. He was accompanied by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and senior J&K BJP leaders. Chairing a high-level meeting at Raj Bhavan to review the latest situation after inspecting the affected areas, Shah appreciated the efforts of all the agencies and said the J&K government carried out the successful rescue operation
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday visited the flood-hit areas of Jammu, officials said. He will also visit Manguchak, the worst-hit village of the district. Accompanied by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Shah stopped on the Tawi bridge near Bikram Chowk and inspected the damage along the riverbanks. Shah had reached Jammu on Sunday night to assess the flood situation and the relief efforts. He is likely to undertake an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas later in the day. He will also chair two separate meetings at Raj Bhawan on flood relief and the damage caused to the border security grid by the flash floods, officials said. More than 130 people have been killed and 33 have gone missing in cloudbursts, landslides and flash floods in Kishtwar, Kathua, Reasi, and Ramban districts since August 14. Record rainfall during August 26-27 caused flash floods in low-lying areas in Jammu and other plains, causing heavy damage to infrastructure. The dead
Amid inclement weather prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday directed officials to ensure round-the-clock monitoring and carry out timely evacuation of residents from risk-prone zones. The statement comes in the aftermath of two fresh incidents of cloudburst and landslide in Ramban and Reasi districts that left 11 persons, including seven members of a family, dead and one person missing. The chief minister expressed sorrow over the tragic deaths. While four people of a family lost their lives and one person went missing at Rajgarh in Ramban, a couple and their five children were buried alive in a landslide at Badder village in Mahore area of Reasi district. Taking note of the continuous heavy rains, the chief minister appealed to people to remain alert, avoid vulnerable areas, and strictly adhere to safety advisories. "He has directed the district administration and disaster management authorities to remain on the ground, ensure round-the-clock .
Three people died while two others are missing after a cloudburst struck a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district, officials said on Saturday. The cloudburst triggered flash floods in the mountainous Rajgarh, located about 25 kilometres from the district headquarters, early on Saturday morning, they said. Rescuers have found the bodies of three people, including two women, who were washed away by the floods, officials said.