From India's Darjeeling to Nepal, Mt Everest: Dozens dead, hundreds stuck in Himalayan rain, snow, landslides
Over 50 killed in Nepal; at least 20 deaths were confirmed in Darjeeling area of India's West Bengal state; impact felt across the eastern Himalayas
Right from the Tibetan side of Mount Everest to towns in Nepal to India's Darjeeling hill station, rain and snow, leading to landslides, has killed dozens and trapped hundreds, as per reports on Sunday, October 5.
Follow live updates from Darjeeling: Death toll may rise as rescue ops continue
Impact of weather near world's highest peak
Almost 1,000 people have been trapped on the eastern, Tibetan side of the Mount Everest, due to a blizzard that has blocked routes, Chinese state media reports said.
Rescue teams and hundreds of local villagers have been deployed to remove the snow in the area, which sits at an altitude above 4,900 metres (16,000 feet), while the peak is at 8,849 metres.
The massive snowfall began on Friday evening and continued throughout Saturday, according to notices on the official WeChat accounts of the local Tingri County Tourism Company. Ticket sales and entry to the Everest Scenic Area were suspended from late Saturday, Reuters reported.
India, Nepal worst-affected in region
Just over the border, in Nepal, over 50 people have been killed by heavy rains and flash floods since Friday, as per the update at 11 pm on Saturday.
In India, too, 20 deaths have so far been reported in Darjeeling, a popular hill station in the state of West Bengal.
In Nepal, torrential downpours began on Friday, leaving rivers in spate and many areas in the Himalayan nation inundated.
At 37, majority of the deaths -- from Saturday morning 10 am till Sunday 10 am -- were from the worst hit Koshi province that saw floods, landslides, lightning and road accidents, according to PTI news agency.
Bridges down, massive rescue on
Areas in both northern Bengal and southern Bengal have been flooded due to sudden heavy rains. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee stated that she was "deeply worried", and assured that all necessary assistance would be sent to the affected families immediately.
She added that devastation struck after torrential rains exceeding estimates. "Yesterday (Saturday) night there was sudden rainfall exceeding 300 mm in 12 hours in North Bengal, and there was simultaneously excessive flow of water into Sankosh river and generally flow of river waters from Bhutan and Sikkim. This caused disasters," she said.
"Two iron bridges have collapsed, several roads have been damaged and flooded, huge tracts of land in the districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar have been inundated. There have been reports of worrying damages and losses particularly in Mirik, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Matigara and Alipurduar," the CM further said.
Bhutan hit too
In Bhutan, a coordinated rescue effort by the local authorities and the Indian Army on Sunday ensured safety for people affected by a sudden flood in the vicinity of the Amochu river.
The flood had left several families and workers stranded in Bhutan's temporary housing and workforce camp.
When a helicopter of Drukair — Bhutan's national airline — was unable to take off due to inclement weather, the country sought urgent support from India, they added.
(with Reuters, AFP, PTI, ANI inputs)
