Mal Bazar, Oct 6 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his anguish over the mishap in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district during immersion of Durga idols on Wednesday night in which at least eight people drowned.
Official sources said on Thursday that at least eight people were dead when flash flood swept away scores of people in the Mal river during immersion around 8:30 pm.
Sources said in the deluge, besides eight people were fished out, 13 others were wounded, who have been admitted to mal Speciality hospital in this subdivision. Of the injured seven of them were females.
Among the dead, one was an aged man and a minor boy.
North Bengal Development minister Udayan Guha described the mishap as very unfortunate and ruled out any negligence on the part of the district administration.
" Am now in Dinhata ( Coochbehar, a neighbouring district of north Bengal) and immediately toward the accident place for on-the-spot study," Guhas told a Bengal TV news channel.
" Anguished by the mishap during Durga Puja festivities in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones: PM Narendra Modi,' a Twitter of the PMO office said.
Describing the mishap as saddening news, West Bengal leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari has requested the DM of Jalpaiguri and the chief minister of the state to urgently step up rescue efforts & provide assistance to those in distress.
" Saddening news coming from Jalpaiguri as flash flood in Mal river during Durga Puja immersion swept away many people. Few deaths have been reported till now. I request the DM of Jalpaiguri & @chief_west to urgently step up rescue efforts & provide assistance to those in distress," Adhikari wrote on his social media.
The mishap happened around 8:30 pm on Wednesday when sudden flash flood in the Mal river swept away scores of unaware revellers who were busy immersing their Dura idols, Jalpaiguri District Magistrate Moumita Godara confirmed.
So far eight bodies have been fished out since Wednesday night. She said some unidentified number of people also went missing.
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