Alipurduar, West Bengal: Heavy rainfall in West Bengal has caused significant disruptions, including the collapse of a wooden bridge near the Jaldapara Forest Tourist Lodge in Alipurduar district. As a result, tourists were left stranded in the area.
In a unique and heroic rescue operation, trained Kumki elephants were deployed to help bring stranded tourists to safety. Ravikant Jha, Assistant Wildlife Warden of Jaldapara Forest, confirmed that 2–4 tourists were successfully ferried across a river by elephants after road access was cut off due to the damaged bridge.
“Our elephants helped bring some tourists across the river, as the bridge near the lodge was washed away by rain. We’re continuing efforts to assist others—5–6 more tourists are expected to be transported this way soon,” said Jha.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is actively engaged in flood rescue operations across other rain-affected regions of the state. In Jalpaiguri, 105 people were rescued by boat and another 55 using zip lines. However, one body was also recovered during the operations.
In the hills of Darjeeling, torrential rains triggered devastating landslides and the collapse of a bridge, resulting in the death of seven people. Two others remain missing. Multiple key roads, including the Kurseong-Darjeeling road at Dilaram and Rohini Road at Gourishankar, have been blocked. Authorities are attempting to evacuate stranded tourists in Mirik through the relatively stable Tindharia Road.
Abhishek Roy, Additional SP of Kurseong, stated, “Seven bodies have been recovered from the debris. We are working to locate two more. Several roads are blocked due to landslides, but Tindharia road is operational and being used for evacuations.”
President Droupadi Murmu expressed deep sorrow over the tragic loss of lives and the destruction caused by the extreme weather. In a message shared on social media platform X, she wrote:
“The tragic loss of lives due to heavy rain and landslides in Darjeeling, West Bengal, is distressing. I express my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I pray for the success of rescue and relief operations and wish a speedy recovery to those injured.”
Rescue operations continue as authorities battle challenging conditions to ensure the safety of residents and tourists across the affected areas.
[…] In an unprecedented rescue operation, trained Kumki elephants were utilized to ferry stranded tourists across the river. Ravikant Jha, Assistant Wildlife Warden of Jaldapara Forest, confirmed that elephants successfully transported 2–4 tourists at a time to safety. These elephants, specially trained for such tasks, navigated the challenging terrain, ensuring the safe evacuation of visitors aryavarthnews.com. […]