Heavy rains triggering landslides has affected large parts of Sikkim in which one person was killed and many houses were damaged, officials said today.
Three persons were swept away at Manpari Basti across Singtam on the banks of Teesta in south Sikkim district on Friday during heavy rains while two of them managed to swim back to safety, one of them identified as Mamta Rai (31) died, they said.
The Mangan-Singtam highway the lifeline between east and north Sikkim is blocked at 14 places between Dikchu to Singtam due to landslides since Friday evening, they said.
At Manzing in south Sikkim district, 38 families have been shifted to safer places as landslides have damaged their homes, they said adding Manzing Junior High School has been closed for owing to the threat posed to it by a landslide.
The District Collector of South Sikkim A K Singh said rescue teams led by Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Ravangla) has been rushed to the Manzing area as it was without electricity and water.
In the State capital Gangtok, a massive landslide in the residential area below Daragaon damaged four buildings last evening, forcing evacuations from these structures.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) was working to clear the blocked roads, they added.