(Top) The hillside that crumbled, overlooking the Kurseong village. (below) Some of the boulders that were set loose by the landslide and came tumbling down, stopping just short of the village. Pictures by Vivek Singh

Kurseong, June 29: Giant boulders set loose by a landslide on a hill overlooking a village here have put at risk 59 houses and blocked the main road to the hamlet.

A 12-metre-high boulder is stuck only around 20 meters from the first house at Upper Mamring Bustee.

The administration evacuated the families under threat by late this evening.

“A large portion of the hillside overlooking the village, 21km from Kurseong town, crumbled, probably because of the rain last night. We will evacuate all the people from the 59 houses because the boulders above the village are a big threat. If it rains later in the evening or at night, the boulders may come crashing,” said Kurseong block development officer Manish Verma.

A dozen big boulders are perched precariously above the village, he added.

The road that connects the village to the town has been blocked at two points.

The evacuated people have been housed in a primary school and on a ground on the other side of the village.

Asha Mukhia Lama, the relief officer of Kurseong, said tarpaulins and blankets were being sent to the shelters via Lower Mamring Road.

If it takes some 40 minutes to reach the village from Kurseong under normal circumstances, it is taking around two-and-a-half hours now.

Officials said the village has over 100 other houses, which are safe.

The villagers saw the boulders hurtling down around 8.30am.

Ajay Rai, a contractor who lives in Upper Mamring, said: “I was on my motorcycle, going to a construction site. Suddenly, a boulder, which must have been six metres high, landed in front. It was my luck that I managed to stop in time. I left the motorcycle there and ran away.”

He later saw “the entire hillside come down”. By then, “the residents had started running here and there”, said Rai.

At least five families fled homes and took shelter in nearby villages.

In times of a calamity, the roadblock could be disastrous, an official said.