National Highway 10 Blocked, Heavy Traffic Jam After Landslides In Sikkim

Multiple landslides have resulted in the collapse of a National Highway road which connects Sikkim and West Bengal, resulting in massive traffic jams. National Highway 10 connects Sikkim capital Gangtok to West Bengal's Kalimpong and Siliguri. The administration is currently busy carrying out clearing operations, but progress to clear out debris from the road is slow as the landslides are still active.

Heavy rain in the past three days across the north east states, including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, are the reason behind the multiple landslides.

At least three blockages across the National Highway road, near Setijhora, Kali Mandir and Sevoke police outpost, have been reported since early morning.

Landslides in Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Assam have affected thousands of people.

Four districts in Meghalaya were cut off yesterday, while four, including three in Assam have died. Over two lakh people across 11 districts have been marooned because of heavy rain.

Heavy to very heavy rain has been predicted in the states, including Sikkim, for the next five days.

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has said that about 3,435 hectares of agricultural land has been destroyed.

In Arunachal Pradesh, a devastating cloudburst has stranded nearly 800 people. Many others are reported to be missing.

The Brahmaputra river tipped over the danger level in Assam's Jorhat. The Brahmaputra river is over the danger level at another area, in Tezpur. The river's five tributaries are also flowing above the danger mark.

The National Disaster Response Force or NDRF along with state agencies are carrying out rescue operations.