Homes and roads were submerged in large parts of Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts because of incessant rain over the past 24 hours.

Durgesh Orao, 23, of Oodlabari in Jalpaiguri district died when he was trying to drive his earth moving machine across the Leiti river on Thursday morning.

“He was trying to cross the river with five labourers in the earth moving machine when the swollen river turned the vehicle. Orao got stuck under the machine and died on the spot,” said a police source.

The five workers managed to swim to safety.

Traffic between the Dooars and Siliguri through Sevoke was disrupted for more than five hours on Thursday because the Gheesh river was overflowing near Oodlabari in Mal block of Jalpaiguri district.

Water-logging was reported from Malbazar block and the municipality. Jalpaiguri district sources said over 50 houses were flooded at Gheesh busty in Mal block.

Heavy rains have also destroyed the embankment of the Mal river.

In Alipurduar town, over 1000 residents in eight of 20 wards were affected by water-logging. The Kaljani river is flowing just below the danger level. Large areas of Cooch Behar were also water-logged.

Sources in the irrigation department said Cooch Behar had recorded 290mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, followed by Alipurduar (262mm) and Jalpaiguri (70mm).