Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, Oct. 6: Two Tibetan households in the Pokhriabong area of Darjeeling sustained damage after trees toppled onto their homes during heavy rainfall and landslides that struck the hill district last Saturday evening.
While no Tibetan casualties were reported from scattered settlements in Darjeeling, Mirik, and Pokhriabong, the wider region has been left reeling from one of the deadliest landslides in a decade, which has so far claimed at least 24 lives at the time of reporting.
The landslides, triggered on Saturday evening after relentless downpours, swept away houses, blocked roads, and cut off several hill communities in Darjeeling. Disaster management officials reported that thousands of tourists remain stranded as rescue operations, led by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), continue in treacherous conditions.
Darjeeling Settlement Officer Dorje Rigzin told Phayul that while Tibetans in the region had largely escaped harm, two families in Pokhriabong were affected when trees fell on their homes. “Since Saturday evening, due to heavy rainfall and landslides, many roads, including the main highway, have been blocked. While there were no Tibetan casualties in the Tibetan settlements of Darjeeling, Mirik, and Pokhriabong, two households in Pokhriabong suffered damage”.
According to reports compiled by the NDRF and local administrations in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri, fatalities were recorded in multiple locations, including Sarsaly, Jasbirgaon, Mirik Basti, Dhar Gaon (Mechi), the Mirik Lake area, and the Nagrakata region in Jalpaiguri district. Mirik suffered the heaviest impact, with numerous homes buried under mud and debris and several residents injured.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee convened an emergency meeting and is touring the worst-hit areas to oversee relief efforts amid disruptions to power and water supplies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to the bereaved families through his social media platform X, assuring them that the situation is being closely monitored by the central government.
