Darjeeling Rains: 8-Year-Old Girl and Father Killed in Landslide

An eight-year-old girl and her father reportedly died in Darjeeling district on Wednesday following a landslide. The incident occurred in the Goke area under Bijanbari block, where Praneel Limbu (28) and his daughter Samantha were hit by boulders that came crashing down a hillside during ongoing repair work on a drinking water pipeline near their residence.

According to reports, Praneel Limbu was repairing the pipeline when there was continuous rain. His daughter was standing nearby when large rocks suddenly came crashing down, and they had no time to escape. Limbu died on the spot, while the grievously injured child was rescued by villagers.

The region experienced incessant rainfall and strong winds for over 24 hours on Wednesday, triggering multiple minor landslides across North Bengal. Several houses were damaged, and numerous trees were uprooted due to the storm's intensity.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Darjeeling recorded 72 mm of rain, followed by Siliguri (64 mm) and Malda (63 mm) in the 24 hours ending Wednesday morning.

Another landslide was reported at Swetijhora, approximately 35 km from Siliguri, resulting in a temporary halt to traffic on National Highway-10.

In Malda, the persistent rainfall led to severe waterlogging in at least six wards, affecting around 10,000 residents in areas including Subhaspally, Prantapally, Sarbamangalapally, Krishnapally, Malanchapally, and surrounding localities.

Frustrated residents criticized the town’s inadequate drainage and sewerage infrastructure, noting that just two days of continuous rain was enough to cause significant disruptions and road damage.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall over North Bengal districts in the coming days.

Speaking to mediapersons, GN Raha, IMD Director for Gangtok, explained, “Strong moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal will cause light to moderate rainfall over several districts of North Bengal over the next few days.”