Siliguri: Highways in West Bengal’s Darjeeling and Sikkim had been blocked on Thursday due to incessant rainfall. It also cut off the northeastern state’s capital Gangtok from Siliguri in the plains.

Fresh landslides hit many parts of Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts today. There is a warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next 48 hours.

Two National Highways (NH) -- NH 10, that connects siliguri in West Bengal with Sikkim and NH 31, that connects Siliguri and Dooars in Jalpaiguri district -- have been closed. 

According to reports, Kapil Meena, district magistrate of Sikkim’s East, was stuck on NH 10 while returning to Gangtok from Siliguri. 

Meena reportedly said that she doesn’t know how long it would take to clear the road. 

NH 55 connecting Siliguri and Darjeeling was also damaged at several places. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) services have been suspended. 

Several houses and cars were also hit by landslides.

Two people died in landslides in the past few days in Pubung in Darjeeling district. Three more are feared dead as their car fell in the Teesta in the same district.

Darjeeling’s district magistrate Deepap Priya P reportedly said that though there has been no new loss of life due to landslides in the past couple of days, roads have been damaged in several areas and many houses have been affected.

Reports released on Monday stated that roads in Bijanbari in Darjeeling had been completely washed away in landslides.

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, Sikkim and Darjeeling hills receive 615.88mm of rainfall on an average every year in July.