LANDSLIDE CAUSES HUGE DAMAGES & CASUALTIES IN KALIMPONG AND HILLS

By Nisha Chettri (TNI Kalimpong) ~ Edited By R. Subrata (TNI Siliguri)

Webdesk, TNI Kalimpong, 2nd July, 2015: Last night’s incessant rainfall caused huge damages in and around Kalimpong and the death toll caused by landslide reached 7 by evening. Sanjay Gazmer (30) and his wife Priya Sarki (25) were buried by the debris which rushed their home around 2 in the morning, in 11th Mile, above Shahid Park. The neighbors spoke to this Journalist on the site and complained about the bad drainage in the road above their houses (veterinary road) which is the reason of the landslide. Meanwhile in 8th Mile, Nursery Gaun, the mud avalanche gushed down and washed Ramesh Rai’s house. Bodies of Rai and his wife Kusum were not found in the marshy rubble till the time this report was written however their son’s Amrit Rai’s (9) body was recovered in the morning by the fire brigade team and another Bivek Rai (13) was found unconscious in the debris who now is in the sub-divisional hospital, sustained with head injuries. Nursery Gaun has a newly dug road (under construction), constructed under PWD that leads to 17th Mile from 7th Mile. The neighbors of the deceased also complained about the drainage which is not seen in the 7th mile bypass. Jai Prakash Rai (60) also lost his life when a tree fell in his house in West Lower Pagang, Paiyu G.P. Da Doma Sherpa (14) from Lava and Alisha Rai (18) from Gorubathan were also killed in the torrential downpour today. In the other hand sources disclosed that 4 went missing on Lingsay. It was also known that Kalimpong received 137 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours and places like Chisopani, Dungra Busty, Primtam Road, Paiyu, Bhalukhop, etc, saw massive destructions. Approximately ten houses in Malli were washed away by the torrential river and the survivors of the locality have been shifted to relief center. Later, the SDO Radhika Aiyer spoke to this reporter regarding the relief operation, she said that Kalimpong is in a bad condition and tarpaulins are falling short for the rain has destructed every places here, ‘every roads connecting to Siliguri are blocked because of landslide and the oilcloth is lessening’ said Aiyer adding that 8 teams (vehicles) have gone for the relief work. She also said that the family of the deceased will get a compensation of 3 lakh from the disaster relief fund, after the post-mortem reports. ‘We are hurrying for the postmortem so that we can give the compensation to the family as soon as possible’ said the SDO.

Photos: Nisha Chettri (TNI)