Bhubaneswar: Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly, Naveen Patnaik Sunday expressed grief over the loss of lives in landslides following heavy rain in West Bengal’s Darjeeling.
At least 20 people, including several children, were killed and scores injured as relentless downpour unleashed massive landslides across the Mirik and Darjeeling hills in West Bengal Sunday, sweeping away homes and leaving hundreds of tourists stranded, officials said.
“Deeply saddened to know about the loss of so many precious lives following landslides caused by heavy rain in #Darjeeling. My thoughts and prayers are with the grieving families during this difficult time,” Patnaik said in a post on X.
“Praying for the early rescue of those who are missing and swift recovery of those who have sustained injuries,” the former chief minister added.
In Odisha, one person had died and two others went missing in a recent landslide incident in Gajapati district.
The Odisha government has said that it would soon come out with a master plan to deal with landslide situations.
PTI