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Harrowing video of collapsed iron bridge in West Bengal's Darjeeling amid heavy rain, landslides
The collapsed iron bridge over the Balason River connected Siliguri and Mirik.
A shocking video of a collapsed iron bridge in Darjeeling, caused by heavy rains and landslides, has surfaced on social media. The clip shows a broken portion of the Dudhia iron bridge in Mirik, with raging waters flowing below.
“West Bengal Movement of vehicles has been restricted on the Siliguri-Darjeeling SH-12 road after a portion of Dudhia iron bridge collapsed due to heavy rain in North Bengal,” ANI tweeted while posting the video. The bridge on the Balason River connected Siliguri and Mirik.
Also Read: Heavy rain, landslides hit West Bengal's Darjeeling: 7 dead, iron bridge collapses
PM Modi expresses sorrow:
In a tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow over the situation in Darjeeling. “Deeply pained by the loss of lives due to a bridge mishap in Darjeeling. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon.”
“The situation in Darjeeling and surrounding areas is being closely monitored in the wake of heavy rains and landslides. We are committed to providing all possible assistance to those affected,” he added.
Local leader reacts:
Regarding the region's situation, Raju Bista, a MP for Darjeeling, tweeted, "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. I am taking stock of the situation, and in touch with the relevant authorities.”
North Bengal rainfall update:
Excessive rainfall in North Bengal has caused landslides, severe waterlogging, and road blockages. Reportedly, at least seven people have died due to the landslides, and two are still missing.
Also Read: Odisha to prepare master plan to prevent loss of human lives due to landslides
“7 dead bodies have already been recovered from the debris. We have information about two more people. Work is being done to recover their bodies too. A landslide occurred at Dilaram on the Kurseong road, which leads to Darjeeling. That road is blocked... Rohini Road is also blocked due to a landslide at Gourishankar... The condition of Pankhabari Road is extremely poor... Tindharia road is functioning right now. We are trying to evacuate all the tourists in Mirik in three to four hours through Tindharia,” said Additional SP Kurseong Abhishek Roy.
(With inputs from ANI)
