Siliguri, June 24: Fifteen persons were injured, two seriously, while three houses and five roadside shops were demolished in a series of landslides in Darjeeling and its nearby areas since yesterday, the district magistrate, H Mohon said today. The injured were admitted to Darjeeling Sadar Hospital and a local nursing home. Condition of two of them was stated to be serious, he said.
Fresh landslides occurred at Merrivilla in Darjeeling town this morning but did not cause any damage. The earth on the road was cleared, he said.
Mohon said that damage was maximum at dally, about 4 km from Darjeeling where two houses and five shops were flattened under the debris. No one was, however, caught under the debris, he said.
The toy train track was severely damaged with at least 120 metre stretch dislocated, the relief officer, Darjeeling, S W Bhutia said adding that it was not possible to restore the line before a week's time. Railway authorities were not immediately available for comment.
With the rains providing a let-up today, Bhutia said that debris from Darjeeling railway station, Sonada, Rangbul and Rathkhola was already removed. The work force was now engaged to clear huge debris from dally. If everything went well, the hill cart road connecting Siliguri and Darjeeling could be opened by this evening, Bhutia said.
Bhutia said that the district administration had already arranged sufficient stock of relief material to face any eventuality in the wake of landslide which was a regular phenomenon in the hills during monsoons.
Bureau Report