Archive · 19 Aug 2026
Fresh Landslide Disrupts Siliguri-Dooars Link Amid Monsoon Threat
Rain caused a landslide near Sevoke in West Bengal.
The landslide blocked an important road between Siliguri and the Dooars.
Cars and other vehicles had to wait in both directions.
Workers cleared the road in about three hours.
Heavy monsoon rain is also making some hills in Sikkim unsafe.
Thirty-nine families in the Rimbi-Singlitam area may be affected by landslides.
The Sashastra Seema Bal gave some families tents and cots and planned health camps.
People living in risky places were told to stay alert and move away if the danger increased.
A landslide near Bagpul, close to Sevoke Bridge, halted traffic between Siliguri and the Dooars for about three hours on Wednesday morning.
The slide occurred around 9 a.m. after rain affected Siliguri and nearby areas, blocking vehicles in both directions.
Clearance operations restored the route after nearly three hours, highlighting the importance of the Sevoke corridor.
In West Sikkim, 39 families in Rimbi-Singlitam were identified as being threatened by landslide activity.
The 72nd Battalion of the Sashastra Seema Bal provided tents and cots, planned medical and veterinary camps, and advised residents to move to safer locations if conditions worsened.
- Who
- Vehicles using the Siliguri-Dooars route were affected; 39 families in West Sikkim were also identified as vulnerable.
- What
- A fresh landslide blocked the road near Bagpul by Sevoke Bridge, while landslide activity threatened families in Rimbi-Singlitam.
- When
- The road landslide occurred around 9 a.m. on Wednesday and was cleared in nearly three hours; officials visited the Sikkim sites on Tuesday.
- Where
- The road disruption occurred near Sevoke in Darjeeling district, West Bengal; the threatened families are in Rimbi-Singlitam, Gyalshing district, West Sikkim.
- Why
- Rain triggered the Bagpul slide, while prolonged monsoon rainfall has destabilized slopes in vulnerable parts of the eastern Himalayas.
- Road disruption
- Traffic between Siliguri and the Dooars stopped for around three hours.
- Landslide location
- Bagpul, close to the Sevoke Bridge.
- Reported time
- Around 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
- Families at risk
- Thirty-nine families in Rimbi-Singlitam: nine in Singlitam and 30 in Rimbi.
- Relief supplies
- The Sashastra Seema Bal provided two tents and 10 cots.
- Additional support
- Medical and veterinary camps were scheduled in the affected area.
- Ongoing concern
- Rainfall is expected to continue during the coming weeks, with the landslide season potentially lasting into September or early October.