A major landslide occurred on NH55, the main link between Darjeeling and Siliguri, near Tindharia in Kurseong subdivision of Darjeeling district on Friday morning, completely halting traffic.

Debris lay across 30 metres on NH55 and tracks of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) that run parallel to the highway.

“Since Thursday evening, the hills saw torrential rain that led to the landslide at Chunabhati near Tindharia,” said Banhisikha Dey, ADM (development) of Darjeeling.

The zone, some 30km from Siliguri, is landslide-prone.

“It (the affected stretch) is one of the most vulnerable spots along NH55 where landslides occur every monsoon. Incessant rain has led to few minor landslides in some other spots of Kurseong subdivision,” said an official.

Among these include Shivakhola, Rajbari-1 and the stretches between the DHR workshop, Tindharia station and Gayabari station.

Because of the landslide, those in Rongtong, Tindharia and Gayabari will now have to take detours to reach Siliguri or Darjeeling. “They need to take the Subash Ghisingh Marg (Rohini Road), Pankhabari Road or move via Mirik or Peshok through Mungpoo,” said a Kurseong resident.

Officials of the DHR also inspected the damaged spot. The tracks, they reported, are buried under tonnes of debris.

“Mud, stones and rubble are piled on tracks parallel to the highway. It appears the tracks are intact. We can examine and restore tracks after state PWD clears the debris and carries out repairs,” said S. Chanda, chief PRO of Northeast Frontier Railway.

Since March last year, this heritage rail service, which normally draws thousands of tourists to Darjeeling, has been suspended amid the pandemic.

“But because it is a World Heritage Site recognised by the Unesco, we need to conserve every bit of the railways, which includes the tracks,” said an official.