Rains, landslides disrupt life in Sikkim

Gangtok, July 17 (UNI) Landslides in all four districts of Sikkim left 12 people wounded, damaged score of houses and rendered at least 25 families homeless since last night, reports reaching here today said.

The mudslides also cut off Sikkim from the rest of the country as a major portion of life line, the 120-km National Highway 31, that connects Gangtok with Siliguri, nearest railhead, caved in near Rimbi in neighbouring Kalimgpong sub-division.

Some 25 families in Upper Chandmari above Gangtok town were evacuated last night after mudslides threatened their life and property.

Five passengers were today injured, three of them critically, when a boulder hit their bus at Martam near Singtam on the highway.

Communication including transport, telephone and power supply was affected in entire Namchi, the district headquarters of south Sikkim, as landslips damaged power transmitter, uprooted posts and breached road links. Three houses were damaged when boulders hit them injuring a 13-year-old boy at Namthang, also in Namchi.

Road links from Gangtok to Mangan in north Sikkim, Namchi in south Sikkim and Pelling and Chakung in west Sikkim also breached in several areas by mudsldies and debris.

A disaster management cell was set up in Gangtok to cater emergency services to the affected people.

Official sources here said details of the natural calamity were yet to be received from remote areas as the far flung areas were still out of bound following snapping of telephone lines.

UNI