Two persons killed in landslides, five north Bengal districts affected by flood

Kolkata, Aug 12 (SURYAA): Two persons were killed in landslides triggered by heavy rain in northern West Bengal, officials said on Saturday.

In two separate incidents in Darjeeling district, houses collapsed in the landslides crushing two people to death on Saturday.

"Norbu Tamang and Mankumari Rai died in Darjeeling district. One other person has been injured and is undergoing treatment," said district disaster managment Gopal Haldar.

Several areas in the district witnessed landslides due to incessant rain since Friday.

Jorbangla and Lebong Cart roads to and from Darjeeling have been shut due to the debris and boulders resulting from the landslip.

Several localities in Coochbehar district were inundated while the swollen Mahananda river has caused water-logging in Siliguri city.

State Irrigation Minister Rajib Banerjee said Coochbehar, North Dinajpur, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts along with 100 tea gardens in north Bengal have been affected by flood.

"We have already opened control rooms. I am monitoring the situation. The state is working on a war-footing to improve the flood situation in five north Bengal districts," he said.

While returning from Delhi, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the city airport said: "I am in touch with the officials and I have discussed the flood situation with the Chief Secretary. There has been a rise in water level in several rivers. We have started relief work."

Power supply was interrupted in some parts of Alipurduar as a precautionary measure, officials said.

According to the regional Met office, isolated places in sub-Himalayan West Bengal experienced "heavy to very heavy with extremely heavy rainfall" since Friday night.

Similar conditions are likely to prevail in the region for the next 24 hours, the Met office said.