NEW DELHI: Rescuers were scouring India&#39;s northeastern tea-growing hill district of Darjeeling on Monday for missing people a day after landslides triggered by heavy downpours killed at least 24, officials said. Teams of Indian army and disaster force rescuers were searching for the missing who are feared trapped under mounds of debris, said Udayan Guha, West Bengal state development minister. Downpours and road damage hampered efforts to reach several affected villages, officials said. Television news showed rescue workers using earth movers to clear the debris. Landslides triggered by intense rains destroyed homes and infrastructure and left hundreds of tourists stranded in Darjeeling over the weekend. Rainfall also caused two iron bridges to collapse, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in a post on X. <div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1974753113019142448&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=89dfd6a3fca7769d77544e320f8f672253c6886a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1974753113019142448" style="width: 550px; height: 368px; min-height: 0px; position: static; visibility: visible;"></iframe></div></div></div>India&rsquo;s weather department forecast heavy rainfall in the region until Tuesday. Cloudbursts, floods and landslides have caused significant loss of life and property in recent months across India. Flash floods swept away an entire village in the northern state of Uttarakhand in August. On Sunday, at least 44 people were killed in Nepal due to mudslides and flooding triggered by severe rainfall. Experts say human-caused climate change is intensifying South Asia&rsquo;s monsoons, which traditionally run from June to September and again from October to December.&nbsp; The rains, once predictable, now arrive in erratic bursts that dump extreme amounts of water in short periods, followed by dry spells.

Climate

Natural Disaster

Rescuers in India’s Darjeeling region searched for missing people after heavy rains triggered landslides that killed at least 24 and destroyed homes and bridges, as authorities warned of continued rainfall and challenging conditions.

Landslides kill 24 in India’s Darjeeling; rescuers search for missing

Shaharyar Khalid

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is preparing for a new spell of heavy rainfall and a sharp drop in temperatures just weeks after devastating floods, raising fresh concerns for recovery efforts, agriculture, and transport across the country.&nbsp;According to WeatherWalay, the weather system, linked to a developing low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, will impact large parts of Pakistan, northern India, and eastern Afghanistan from this weekend. Nighttime temperatures could fall by 8 to 10 degrees Celsius in some regions, accompanied by widespread showers, gusty winds, and even snowfall in mountainous areas.&nbsp;The forecast comes as Pakistan continues to recover from catastrophic flooding that displaced over 2.5 million people and killed more than 1,000, according to Reuters. The renewed rainfall threatens to complicate relief operations, particularly in flood-hit Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan, where damaged infrastructure and waterlogged fields remain critical challenges.&nbsp;Danish Baig, Head of Meteorology at WeatherWalay, said rainfall is expected across Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, with urban centres like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad likely to experience downpours, cooler nights, and travel delays. Mountainous areas such as Naran, Hazara, and Kalam may also see snowfall.&nbsp;In Punjab, the wet spell could last three to four days, with strong winds and hail possible. Islamabad&rsquo;s temperatures may dip to 14&ndash;15&deg;C. Traffic on major motorways (M-2, M-3, and M-4) is expected to slow due to slippery conditions, while crops in central and southern Punjab are at risk of damage from hail and waterlogging. In KP, tobacco crops may also be threatened.&nbsp;Health experts warn that stagnant water may trigger a rise in mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue. Authorities have urged intensified vector-control measures. In Gilgit-Baltistan, snow and rain could disrupt transportation on routes such as Babusar Top and the Karakoram Highway, potentially isolating remote communities.&nbsp;While the cold spell signals an early seasonal transition, forecasters stress that it does not mark the onset of winter. However, the development of La Ni&ntilde;a conditions could bring cooler-than-normal temperatures across the region later this year.

Climate & Environment

Pakistan braces for a new wave of heavy rain, hail, and snowfall, threatening flood recovery, crops, and transport. The Bay of Bengal weather system may drop temperatures by up to 10°C and trigger health risks.

Articles tagged with "Heavy Rainfall"

Landslides kill 24 in India’s Darjeeling; rescuers search for missing

Pakistan braces for heavy rains, temperature drop amid recovery