Darjeeling: 17 dead, bridge collapses due to landslide
What's the story
At least 17 people have died in West Bengal's Darjeeling district due to a landslide in Mirik. The disaster also led to the collapse of the Dudia Iron Bridge, which connects Mirik and Kurseong. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar till Sunday morning.
Infrastructure impact
Landslides on highways
The heavy rainfall has also triggered landslides at Hussain Khola along National Highway 110 near Kurseong. A separate landslide on National Highway 717E between Pedong and Rishikhola has cut off the vital road link between Siliguri and Sikkim. The IMD's bulletin predicted continued heavy rains till Monday morning in Darjeeling's neighboring district, Alipurduar.
Official response
BJP MP expresses concern
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Raju Bista expressed his concern over the situation on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, "I am extremely anguished to learn about the massive damages caused due to extremely heavy rainfall in many parts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts." He assured that necessary assistance would be provided to those affected.
Twitter Post
Darjeeling MP Raju Bista's post on X
I am extremely anguished to learn about the massive damages caused due to extremely heavy rainfall in many parts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts. There have been deaths, and loss of properties, and damages to the infrastructure.
— Raju Bista (@RajuBistaBJP) October 5, 2025
I am taking stock of the situation, and in… pic.twitter.com/jyOd5ztOa6
Weather warning
Orange alert issued for several districts
The IMD has issued an orange alert for Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, and Coochbehar on October 5. A red alert has been issued for Alipurduar, while yellow alerts are in place for North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, and Malda districts. The weather department advised residents against taking shelter under trees or electric poles due to the risk of falling branches and poles.