Torrential overnight rain triggered multiple landslides along the Gyalshing-Legship road in West Sikkim on Wednesday, disrupting vehicular movement and temporarily cutting off the district headquarters from the rest of the state.
Gyalshing recorded 95.2 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, with tonnes of sludge and large boulders crashing onto the arterial road at several locations, bringing traffic to a complete halt.
District Magistrate Tenzing Denzongpa said authorities received reports of the landslides around 9 pm on Tuesday. The worst-hit stretch was near Omchung, about two kilometres from Gyalshing town.
With the district's main road link blocked, excavators were deployed through the night as teams worked under challenging weather conditions to clear the debris and restore connectivity.
According to Zilla Panchayat member Sagar Sharma, at least three landslides hit the highway corridor, including a major slide near Omchung, another below the main slide zone and a third near Legship.
"This road witnesses landslides every monsoon. The issue is repeatedly raised during DISHA Monitoring Committee meetings, but permanent restoration and mitigation measures are yet to materialise," he said.
The Gyalshing-Legship road is the primary lifeline of West Sikkim, facilitating the movement of passengers, essential supplies and emergency services. With no viable alternative route available, the blockade has disrupted transportation and raised concerns among residents as the monsoon intensifies.