Siliguri/Gangtok:
At least 15 people were killed and 21 injured on Tuesday in landslides as cyclone Aila, which has moved to north Bengal, triggered heavy rains in the Darjeeling hills.
"Nine bodies were dug out of debris of landslides in Darjeeling and six others died in mudslides at Kurseong," Additional District Magistrate (General) P Zimba said.
The hill station of Darjeeling remained cut off from Siliguri in the plains as both Hill Cart Road and Pankhabari Road from the north Bengal town remained blocked by landslides at Ghoom and at hundred other places, SP Rahul Srivastava said.
Darjeeling District Magistrate Surender Gupta said that five army teams from 123 Mountain Brigade began rescue work and BSF's help was sought.
"Two disaster management teams from BSF will arrive here early tomorrow to clear the roads," he said.
In Gangtok, roads in the Himalayan state were blocked by minor landslides, while 300 houses collapsed. Seventy-seven centimeter of rain was recorded in Sikkim since Monday.
"The Geyzing-Jorethang and Namchi-Melli roads were blocked by landslides which were cleared in the morning," South District Magistrate D Anandan said.
Over 300 wood houses collapsed and relocating the people was proving to be difficult with roads remaining blocked at several places and with rains beginning again, officials said.