Bengal Guv cuts short personal visit to southern states, rushes to landslide-hit Darjeeling

Kolkata, Oct 6 (PTI) 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 authorities, the official said.

The landslides, triggered by over 300 mm of rain in just 12 hours, have ravaged the Darjeeling hills and the Dooars region at the foothills, officials said.

Among the worst-affected areas are Mirik, Sukhiapokhri and Jorebunglow in Darjeeling, and Nagrakata in Jalpaiguri district, they said. PTI SCH RBT