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Darjeeling Landslides Kill 28, Bhutan Warns of More Flooding as Tala Dam Overflows

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Darjeeling is reeling under a wave of destruction. Torrential rains have triggered massive landslides across the hill district, killing at least 28 people and leaving many missing. As the search for survivors continues, a new threat looms Bhutan’s Tala Hydropower Dam has begun overflowing, prompting fresh flood warnings for North Bengal’s Dooars region.

Bhutan Sounds Alarm

Bhutan’s National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM) confirmed a technical glitch in the dam’s gates, causing river water to spill over. The Bhutanese government officially alerted West Bengal authorities to brace for downstream flooding and potential dam impact.

“The situation is critical. Any further rainfall could worsen the flooding in the border areas,” said a senior official at the Druk Green Power Corporation.

Continuous downpour has caused roads to cave in and bridges to collapse, particularly in Mirik and Sukhiapokhari. Several homes have been washed away, cutting off entire villages. In Mirik, rescue teams recovered 13 bodies, while 10 others, including a Kolkata tourist, remain missing.

Rainfall data:

  • Darjeeling: 261 mm in 24 hours (classified as “extremely heavy rainfall”)

  • Cooch Behar: 192 mm

  • Jalpaiguri: 172 mm, with Gajoldoba recording a staggering 300 mm

NDRF on Highest Alert

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has placed its team in Alipurduar on “the highest alert level”. Personnel on leave have been recalled, with 15 additional rescue units deployed from Siliguri, Malda, and Kolkata to assist stranded villagers.

“Our teams are engaged in locating missing persons and providing relief in low-lying and landslide-hit areas,” said NDRF Deputy Inspector General Mohsen Shahedi.

The Tala Dam’s overflow adds a dangerous new layer to the crisis. Meteorologists warn that a storm system moving east from Uttar Pradesh could bring more rain to the eastern Himalayas. If conditions persist, rivers in North Bengal and adjoining Bhutan could swell rapidly, worsening the disaster.

What began as a hill storm is now a regional crisis one that underlines the fragility of Himalayan ecosystems. With climate-linked rainfall patterns intensifying, the line between a seasonal downpour and a deadly landslide is vanishing fast.
Rescue teams continue their race against time as Darjeeling waits for the skies to clear and for calm to return.

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