Major landslides have occurred in several regions of Sikkim and West Bengal as a result of continuous rains. On Friday, a landslide in South Sikkim’s Mamkhola swept away at least eight persons, three of whom were taken to the District Hospital Singtam in East Sikkim. One individual has been pronounced deceased, and the rest are being sought.

This event occurred at a labour camp run by the ITDCL rail construction firm, which is working on the Sevoke Rungpo rail project in Mamkhola, near Rungpo, under the Kalimpong PS. The rivulet near the camp swelled due to heavy rain and rock falls early Friday morning, and eight people were washed away.

Three people were rescued and sent to hospitals in Sikkim and Kalimpong by locals. However, one victim, Dhan Singh Bhandari, 35, son of Nepalese Sher Singh Bhandari, was confirmed dead on arrival at the Kalimpong District Hospital. In Sikkim, two people have been hospitalised with injuries.

The police and a local rafting crew are presently searching for the five persons who are still missing. The DMG team is on its way to the location from Dabgram. A sniffer dog has also been dispatched from Siliguri to aid in the hunt.