I was buried under the mud all night long. My 12-year-old daughter died sleeping right next to me, I could not save her,” Fendo Sangmu Bhutia, 35, says, wiping away her tears. Her nine-year-old nephew was also buried under the same landslide. As her voice chokes thinking about losing her only child, Bhutia recalls that they had gone to their maternal home in Mirik to celebrate Dashain on October 2, Nepal’s most important festival celebrated during Dasara. During this time, Hindus believe that the goddess Durga fought and won over the demon Mahishasura. The festivities ended with the funeral of two children.

On the intervening night of October 4 and 5, torrential rain lashed West Bengal’s Darjeeling district and other parts of north Bengal, triggering over 110 major landslides, as the area received around 261mm of rainfall in just 12 hours. There were over 32 dead, 40 injured, thousands left stranded, and many missing.

Mirik, a tourist destination cradled between alpine forests and a lake, was one of the worst affected. Many say they have not witnessed devastation like this in 30 years.

In many areas, the soil has turned unstable, roads have vanished under layers of mud and reaching houses means trudging through sludge and crumbling bits of rock while balancing between life, death, and the mountain cliffs. Deep inside this landslide-affected area, Bhutia and her family sit quietly, trying to find reason behind their children’s death.

The political aftermath

As the intensity of the wreckage came to light, condolences poured in from several political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and Congress pr