North Bengal landslides: Death toll rise to 39, rescuers reach remote areas

With the recovery of more bodies in the last 24 hours, the death toll in the hills, Terai and Dooars regions in North Bengal, devastated by heavy rainfall and landslides, reached 39 on Thursday, as per the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the district administrations in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri.

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Administrative officials apprehend that the death toll might rise further in the next couple of days as rescue operations continue in the remote areas.

A district administration official pointed out that the official death figure was 36 as of Tuesday morning, and during that day, there was no recovery of more bodies. "However, during the last 24 hours, three more bodies were found, thus taking the death figure to 39. Two of the three bodies recovered during the last 24 hours were carried by the flowing water of the Jaldhaka River," the district administrative official said.