Darjeeling/Kolkata: Atleast 20 people, including many children, were killed and scores injured as relentless downpours unleashed massive landslides across the Mirik and Darjeeling hills in West Bengal on Sunday, sweeping away homes, severing road links, isolating villages, and leaving hundreds of tourists stranded, officials said.

According to reports compiled by the NDRF and the district administration, fatalities were reported from several locations - Sarsaly, Jasbirgaon, Mirik Basti, Dhar Gaon (Mechi), Nagrakata and Mirik Lake area.

Stating that the loss of lives is tragic, North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha said the situation is "alarming." "As of now the death toll is 20. It is likely to go up. I am on my way to the area," he said in the evening.

According to the NDRF statement, at least 11 people have died in Mirik, the worst affected area in the landslide, and seven injured have been rescued from the area. In Darjeeling, seven people died and the rescue operations were underway with the help of police, local administration and disaster response teams.

"Seven deaths have been reported due to a major landslide in Darjeeling subdivision triggered by heavy rainfall since last night. The rescue and relief work is on," Darjeeling Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Richard Lepcha said.

Hundreds of tourists, who had flocked to the Darjeeling hills to enjoy Durga Puja and post-Puja festivities, have been left stranded as heavy rainfall triggered massive landslides. Many of them, including families and groups from Kolkata and other parts of Bengal, were visiting popular spots such as Mirik, Ghoom, and Lepchajagat when the rains lashed the hills since Saturday.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced compensation for the victims without specifying the amount and the number of deaths. She said she would visit north Bengal on Monday to assess the situation.

The CM described the situation as "grave". "Due to incessant rain in Bhutan, water has overflowed into North Bengal. This disaster is unfortunate - natural calamities are beyond our control. We are deeply saddened. I held virtual meetings with officials of five affected districts along with the chief secretary. I have been monitoring the situation since 6 am," she said. President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the deaths and said the situation in Darjeeling and surrounding areas is being closely monitored.

The landslides disrupted traffic movement on key routes, including the Mirik-Sukhiapokhri road, while communication lines to several hilltop settlements were snapped.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in sub-Himalayan West Bengal, including Darjeeling and Kalimpong, till Monday, warning of more landslides and road blockages due to saturated soil conditions. According to the NDRF, road connectivity remains severely disrupted in Darjeeling district and North Sikkim, and an iron bridge connecting Siliguri with the Mirik-Darjeeling route has been damaged, cutting off access to the region.