Kolkata, Oct 7 (IANS): The flash flood in Mal River at Malbazar in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri during idol immersion on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami on Wednesday night "was not an accident rather a culpable murder", alleged the members of the BJP delegation who interacted with members of the families of some of the victims of the mishap on Friday.

Atleast eight persons have reportedly been killed in the mishap while several are still missing.

The BJP legislator from Siliguri assembly constituency, Shankar Ghosh told media persons on Friday that so many people died because of the callous approach of the district administration. "These are not accidental deaths. These are rather culpable murders," he alleged.

The BJP delegation also filed a complaint at the local police station against the Malbazar Municipality and the state irrigation department, accusing the two of "deliberately engaging in diversion of route of Mal River through use of stone boulders".

Meanwhile, BJP's state president in West Bengal and party MP, Sukanta Majumdar had said that "this illegal and artificial embankments on Mal River had been continuing for a long time by a section of officials and staff of Malbazar Municipality and the state irrigation department to facilitate the land and stone mafias in the area. The administration is directly responsible for the mishap."

Refuting the allegations Trinamool Congress state general secretary and party spokesman, Kunal Ghosh said that the police personnel there had been constantly announcing and alerting the people to move out of the river since the water level was increasing. "Any death is tragic. But more tragic is the politics over bodies," he said.