21 killed in India landslides, 15 missing: Officials

At least 21 people have been killed in landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in India’s West Bengal State, police officials say.

On Wednesday, Indian police officials said the landslides had affected the towns of Mirik, Kalimpong, and Darjeeling.

“Rescuers have so far dug out 13 bodies in Mirik, five bodies in Kalimpong and three bodies in Darjeeling town,” Darjeeling district police superintendent Amit P Javalgi said, adding that 15 people were missing in Kalimpong.

The Indian official said that flooding had destroyed “everything down its path in Mirik and Kalimpong.”

He added that over 100 houses and roads had been washed away or damaged in the two towns.

Many people have also been evacuated from their homes in the region.

Officials say rescue workers are currently digging through rubble in search of possible survivors under the debris of dozens of homes.

This comes a week after at least 55 people lost their lives in flooding and landslides in the western Indian state of Gujarat.

Floods and landslides are common during monsoon season in South Asia every year.