Siliguri, July 08 (Siliguri Chronicle) – NH10, a vital road connecting Sikkim and Kalimpong to the rest of Bengal, remained closed for 24 hours from Monday evening due to a landslide near Coronation Bridge. The incident disrupted traffic and damaged a vehicle headed to Kalimpong. No injuries were reported.
The landslide struck around 9am on Monday at Bhasua, located between Kalijhora and Coronation Bridge, about 25km from Siliguri. Large boulders fell onto the highway, cutting off movement along the key route linking Siliguri with the hills.
Police at the Sevoke outpost said a Kalimpong-bound vehicle narrowly avoided a serious accident during the landslide. “The driver saw the boulders coming down just in time and managed to stop. While the passengers were unharmed, a large rock hit the vehicle’s bonnet,” an officer said.
The landslide caused a traffic halt for nearly four hours, disrupting the vital link between the hills and the plains. Traffic movement resumed around noon after workers cleared the debris from the highway.
The National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL), which recently took over the maintenance of NH10 from the Bengal public works department, issued an order halting all vehicular movement on the highway from 6pm on Monday to 6pm on Tuesday. The suspension was put in place as a precautionary measure, citing safety concerns following the landslide.
“…herby notify to the general public in terms of section 33 of the said Act, that due to safety considerations of vehicles plying on the NH setion at Km 2.0- Km 2.5 Km (Bhasua), traffic movement for all class of vehicles shall be closed from 07.07.2025 (6PM) to 08.07.2025 (6PM),” read an order by the NHIDCL.
Sources said traffic was diverted through alternative routes during the 24-hour closure of NH10 to maintain connectivity between the plains and the hills.
