North Bengal floods: 1 killed, 11 missing, over 5,000 displaced

A child was killed and 11 people were missing in floods in the hills of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Kurseong in north Bengal under the jurisdiction of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), according to GTA chief executive Anit Thapa.

“Over 5,000 people in the GTA area have been displaced as their houses were completely destroyed by the flood. GTA has decided to bear the entire cost of rebuilding their houses,” Thapa told the media after meeting the affected people on the afternoon of Thursday, 5 October.

He added that the West Bengal government has formed a special committee to oversee the process of tackling the crisis and ensuring quick rescue and relief operations for those affected.

“I am also a member of the committee. The situation is really alarming and thousands of people have been affected. They include students in different residential schools. We have made alternative arrangements for them so that they can continue their studies, staying as paying guests at reasonable rates,” Thapa said.

Meanwhile, a death was reported from Krishnaganj in Nadia district in south Bengal on Thursday, where a 56-year-old man died after his mud-house collapsed following heavy rains. The flood situation is also critical in this district as several areas are waterlogged.

Several areas in Malda district in north Bengal were also waterlogged, as the Mahananda river began swelling following continuous rainfall. The campus of Malda Medical College & Hospital in Malda town is also under water. The situation has become even more alarming as a dam in the district's Bamangola area has developed cracks.