North Bengal Rains Kill 28; Andhra Storm Kills Four

Relentless heavy rains and landslides across North Bengal — especially Darjeeling district and Mirik — have killed at least 28 people, left dozens missing, and washed away roads and bridges that have isolated remote hamlets and cut the Mirik–Siliguri route. Rescue operations are underway and the NDRF has been placed on 'highest alert', with teams deployed or recalled from Darjeeling, Siliguri, Alipurduar, Malda and Kolkata while central and state authorities monitor the situation. Bhutan’s Tala Hydropower Dam experienced a gate malfunction and began overflowing, prompting flood warnings for downstream Dooars and Alipurduar. The extreme downpours form part of a broader eastern-India pattern — north Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh reported single‑day totals above 210–320 mm — and the IMD has issued red alerts as a low‑pressure system moves north‑northwest, risking further flooding in Gangetic West Bengal and the Northeast. Separately, a weakening cyclonic storm that crossed between Paradip and Gopalpur battered coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, killed four people, swelled the Vamsadhara, Nagavali, Bahuda and Mahendratanaya rivers, and prompted flood warnings, power outages and transport disruptions in coastal districts.