Rain triggers fresh landslide on NH 10 :Sikkim Woman Loses Life in Vehicle-Boulder Collision

Amitava Banerjee, MP, 12 July 2024, Darjeeling: Amid unabated rainfall causing landslides, the MeT office has announced that there could be a respite in the intensity of rainfall in this region with the shift in the monsoon axis. 

A woman died and others were injured in Sikkim on Friday morning, when the vehicle they were travelling in was crashed by a huge boulder. 

Rakhi Chettri (35), the deceased, was travelling from Lingee in the Makha area when a huge boulder slid down the Hills and crushed the vehicle, in a landslide prone area. There were 13 persons in the vehicle, including the driver. Four others have been hospitalised.
They received primary medical care at the Singtam District Hospital but were later referred to the STNM Hospital in Gangtok. 

The National Highway 10, connecting Sikkim with the plains of Bengal, continued to remain closed with landslides in different places along the route. 

A fresh landslide occurred on the NH10 at Brikdanar near 21 Mile in the Kalimpong sub division, triggered by inconsistent rain. Around 10 m to 12 m of the road bench broke away and slid into the Teesta River. 

Repairs are on at Selfie-danra, where a similar landslide had occurred a few days ago. Earth cutting work is on at that point. With heavy rains in the region, the water level of Teesta rose inundating the road below the Teesta Bridge. 

The Kalimpong to Darjeeling road via Lopchu remained closed. “The under construction National Highway 717 that was closed owing to landslides opened to traffic since Thursday,” stated T Balasubramanian, District Magistrate, Kalimpong.
The MeT office has forecasted a decrease in intensity of rainfall from Friday. “The eastern end of the monsoon trough will start to shift southwards from Saturday. 

Accordingly there will be a decline in the incursion of moisture over this region resulting in the decrease of rainfall intensity,” stated Gopinath Raha of IMD, Gangtok. 

In the last 24 hours, recorded on Friday morning, Darjeeling recorded 27.8 mm; Kalimpong 46.8 mm; Siliguri 148.6 mm; Sevoke 182.6 mm; Gazoledoba 90.8 mm; Falakata 121 mm and Hashimara 156.2 mm. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/rain-triggers-fresh-landslide-on-nh-10-571650