Three persons, including a couple, were killed and road link between Kalimpong and Sikkim cut off following a series of landslides triggered by incessant rains in Kurseong and Kalimpong sub-divisions of Darjeeling district.
“Condition of Darjeeling is grim as most of the roads have turned inaccessible after last night’s landslides. The hill sub-division Kalimpong and Sikkim were cut off as the arterial road link NH-31A was hit with landslides in between Sevoke and Ranbhi,” Darjeeling District Magistrate Surendra Gupta said on Thursday.
A couple was buried alive when a rock slided against their house last night at Okai tea garden under Mirik block, sub-divisional officer of Kurseong Dibyendu Das said.
While in Kalimpong, the landslide has claimed one person, whose identity could not be immediately known, SDO of Kalimpong, Amiyesh Tsehering said, adding priority has been given to restoration of road and communication network.
In Kurseong, slides in far flung areas of the sub-division are still being reported. At least 70 houses in the sub-division were damaged, Das said.
The DGHC and the highway authorities are trying to remove the rocks but the progress of work is slow as rains are still continuing.
On August 16, seven persons, five in Kurseong and two in Kalimpong were killed due to landslides.
