Meteorological Department issues red alert
– Bridge collapse disrupts vehicular traffic
Kolkata. Landslides and flooding caused by heavy rains in Darjeeling district of West Bengal on Sunday have caused widespread devastation, with at least seven people reported dead. A portion of the Dudhia Iron Bridge, connecting Siliguri and Mirik, collapsed due to the heavy rains. The bridge collapse has completely disrupted vehicular traffic on the Siliguri-Darjeeling SH-12 road.
Darjeeling MP and BJP leader Raju Bista expressed grief over the incident. He wrote on Twitter that he was deeply saddened to learn about the massive damage caused by extremely heavy rains in several parts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts, including deaths, property loss, and infrastructure damage. He also said that he is assessing the situation and is in touch with the concerned authorities.
The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a severe weather warning for the region. The department has issued a red alert for Alipurduar, while an orange alert for heavy rain has been issued for Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Jalpaiguri. Earlier on Saturday, the department had issued a red alert for the sub-Himalayan district as well as Kalimpong, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar.
