Darjeeling/Siliguri, 6 Oct

The death toll from devastating landslides in North Bengal rose to 28 on Monday, with six people still missing, as rescue teams battled landslides and rising waters across the hills and Dooars. The disaster has also ignited a fierce political confrontation between the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for triggering a "man-made disaster", while the BJP accused the TMC of orchestrating an attack on its MP Khagen Murmu and MLA Shankar Ghosh while visiting the disaster-hit Nagrakata region in Jalpaiguri.

With over 300 mm of rain in 12 hours, the landslides ravaged Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Kalimpong districts, leaving thousands of tourists stranded, hundreds homeless as several hill slopes caved in.

Rescue teams struggled to clear over 40 landslide points, as swollen rivers and broken bridges cut off remote settlements.

North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha said the toll was likely to rise further as rescue operations continued.

"Till now, 28 people have died and six remain missing. The deaths have been reported from both Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri," Guha told PTI.

The worst-affected areas include Mirik, Sukhiapokhri, Jorebunglow, and Nagrakata, where roads have vanished under mud, bridges collapsed, and villages lie buried under debris.

Hundreds of tourists are stranded, while locals wait anxiously for news of missing family members.

Chief Minister Banerjee, accompanied by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, flew to Bagdogra to oversee rescue operations.

She accused the DVC and the Centre of negligence. "This is a man-made disaster. The DVC releases water as per its wish to save Jharkhand, and Bengal suffers the consequences," she said before boarding her flight.

"We have demanded desiltation of the Maithon and Panchet dams for two decades, but nothing has been done. The Centre's negligence has cost lives," she added.

The CM announced Rs 5 lakh ex gratia for the kin of each of the deceased deceased and a home guard job for one family member, asserting that "Bengal will rebuild, no matter how big the loss."

Meanwhile, the political storm deepened after Malda North BJP MP Murmu and Siliguri MLA Ghosh were assaulted by a mob during their visit to the flood-hit Nagrakata area.

Television visuals showed their convoy being pelted with stones by locals shouting "Didi, Didi." Murmu sustained a head injury, while Ghosh narrowly escaped.

"We went to check on victims when a group surrounded us and attacked from behind. Khagen-da was hit on the head. It was horrifying," Ghosh said in a Facebook Live video from inside their vehicle, with the injured MP beside him.

The BJP accused the TMC of orchestrating the attack.

"TMC's Jungle Raj in Bengal! BJP MP Khagen Murmu was attacked by TMC goons while trying to help flood victims," BJP national IT cell chief Amit Malviya posted on X.

"While Mamata Banerjee dances at her Carnival, those helping people are attacked. Cruelty rules, compassion is punished," he added.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari termed the assault "a brutal reminder of Mamata's political intolerance."

The ruling TMC dismissed the charge as "self-inflicted."

Minister Guha said, "We don't support violence, but BJP leaders went there with a convoy of over 10 cars for a photo-op without carrying any relief. Naturally, locals got agitated."

As tempers flared, Banerjee appealed for calm, posting an emotional message urging unity amid the crisis.

The DVC, meanwhile, confirmed that it had released 55,000 cusecs of water from the Maithon and Panchet reservoirs but denied any arbitrary action.

"Flooding depends on downstream river capacity, which is not under DVC's control," a senior official said.

State Irrigation Minister Manas Bhuiyan countered, "The DVC released water two days ago without coordination. Years of neglect in dredging and desiltation have crippled their capacity. The Centre is treating Bengal step-motherly through DVC's actions."

Banerjee, who is camping in north Bengal, warned that more rivers may swell in the next 48 hours due to high tide and DVC water releases, and said the state was "somehow managing" without central aid.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of continued heavy to very heavy rainfall in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar till Tuesday morning, cautioning that saturated soil may trigger fresh landslides.

In Mirik and Nagrakata, scenes of devastation were everywhere. Whole slopes had collapsed, rivers changed course, and bridges were ripped apart by the fury of rain and years of reckless construction.