Lightning strikes: Atleast 15 killed across state
Kolkata/ Darjeeling: As many as 15 people were killed and 10 others have been injured across the state in the past 24 hours after they were struck by lightning. Five persons were killed in Bankura on Monday. Three persons have been killed in East Burdwan's Galsi while the other victims were from various places in the state.
Two persons died as the vehicle they were travelling in fell into a damaged part of a bridge at Juranti near Odlabari, Jalpaiguri. Incessant rainfall since Monday sparked multiple landslides in the Hills and inundated the plains in North Bengal.
The part of this small but strategically important bridge had caved in bringing vehicular movement between Siliguri and North Eastern part of the country, through Sevoke and NH-31, to a grinding halt since early Tuesday morning.
The two deceased persons were travelling in a pick-up carrying fruit from Assam to Siliguri when the vehicle fell into the crevasse created by the portion of the bridge that had caved in. Both died on the spot. National Highway officials stated that the incessant downpour had caused the damage in the bridge.
The torrential rain also hampered vehicular traffic between Siliguri and Mirik through 12A State Highway as landslide near Ghayabari in Mirik occurred. The road connecting Dudhia to Panighata was also damaged owing to landslides.
Vehicular traffic from the Darjeeling hills to the plains was disrupted in many places owing to numerous landslides on Tuesday. The Pankhabari road was blocked at School-danra. The Maneybhanjyang - Rimbik road was blocked.
The NH 55 was blocked at Selimhill, Kurseong owing to a landslide. Another landslide was reported near Krishna Villa on NH55 at Dali, 4 km from Darjeeling town. "Civil authorities, police helped by local residents are working on a war footing to clear the debris in these slides, so that vehicular movement can be normalized at the earliest," stated a police officer.
The house of one Norbu Bhutia was washed away in a landslide in Nagri under Sukhia. His wife was buried in the debris but Norbu managed to pull her out. The heavy rains left many areas of Siliguri Municipal Corporation, inundated.
The IMD has issued a red warning (heavy rainfall) in the North Bengal districts from 28th to July 30th. "A cyclonic circulation lies over sub-Himalayan West Bengal and adjoining Bangladesh between 3.1km and 5.8 km above mean sea level. This would cause heavy to very heavy rainfall in this region" stated Dr. Gopi Nath Raha of IMD, Gangtok.
Siliguri received 82 mm; Kalimpong 94 mm; Bagrakote 230 mm; Kurseong 204 mm and Darjeeling 59 mm rainfall in last 24 hours.
