Written by Sweety KumariKolkata | October 6, 2025 05:45 AM IST 3 min readWith soil already saturated by Saturday night’s incessant rainfall in the hill districts of North Bengal, the forecast of more rainfall in the region in the next 24 to 48 hours is likely to cause more landslides, according to the Meteorological Department officials.The Met on Sunday said that the hill districts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong are likely to receive “heavy and very heavy” rainfall in the range of 7-20 cm in the next 48 hours. “This heavy rainfall carries significant risks, including landslides in the hilly areas of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, severe waterlogging and inundation, and a concerning rise in water levels in major rivers such as Teesta, Torsa, Raidak, and Jaldhaka,” the Met bulletin stated.The weather department has advised residents in the hilly areas to avoid landslide-prone zones.On Saturday, rescue teams from the district administration and volunteers worked through fog and drizzle, combing through mud with excavators and human chains. With more rains predicted, the search and rescue operations could be likely hit.Meanwhile, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, and Alipurduar districts in the north have been issued “red alert”. They will likely receive “heavy to very heavy and extremely heavy rainfall in the range of more than 20 cm at one or two places. The Met officials said the rain would be coupled with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30-40 kmph. Weather officials warned that this would very likely cause localised flooding and significant travel disruption.Uttar and Dakshin Dinajpur districts in north Bengal are also likely to receive heavy rainfall (7-11 cm) at one or two places, carrying a high risk of flash floods and damage to infrastructure.Meanwhile, Sikkim has been cut off from West Bengal after NH 10, the key arterial road, was completely blocked by landslides and closed for traffic.Story continues below this adThe primary alternative route to Sikkim, NH717A, has also been impacted by landslides near the Reshi border, further crippling connectivity to the region.In the Hill districts of Darjeeling, Kurseong, and Kalimpong, several crucial routes remained blocked on Sunday. The collapse of the Dudhia bridge has severed the road connectivity between Mirik and Kurseong.The vital hill route of Mirik-Sukhiapokhri Road has been badly hit by mudslides and road cave-ins.With the Mirik Road remaining blocked, the Darjeeling Police has advised commuters to take the route via Ghoom.Story continues below this adSaturday’s rain and landslides submerged tracks and damaged railway infrastructure in North Bengal under the Alipurduar Division, leading to the cancellation, diversion, or short termination of several train services. Chief Public Relations Officer (Northeast Frontier Railway) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said the disruption in the rail services was caused due to water flowing over the railway tracks at several locations in North Bengal.At least eight trains were cancelled on Sunday, including New Jalpaiguri–Alipurduar Tourist Special, Bamanhat Express, Alipurduar–Delhi Sikkim Mahananda Express, Sealdah– Alipurduar Kanchankanya Express.Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Darjeeling Landslide