Guwahati: Torrential and continuous rainfall has triggered landslides across several locations in the remote town of Yuksom, located in Sikkim’s Gyalshing district, destroying two crucial wooden bridges and cutting off key access routes, officials reported on Thursday.
One of the destroyed bridges connected Chhangri Basti to Dhoban. It collapsed following a landslide induced by over 24 hours of unrelenting rain.
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According to officials, the incident has severely affected local connectivity, isolating the region and posing significant challenges for both residents and security forces.
The route from the Chhangri border outpost of the 72nd Battalion, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), through Dhoban and on to New Patal and Yuksom, has been left in a precarious state. This track is not only vital for daily village life but also serves as an important patrol route for soldiers and a corridor for tourists visiting the area.
In another blow, strong currents from the Sakim Dhoban Khola river swept away a second wooden bridge around 9 am, severing the connection between Dhoban border post and Samvay Nayapatal under the Nambu Sindrabung Gram Panchayat Unit.
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This collapse has completely halted traffic and disrupted all communication along the route.
The Gyalshing district administration and the District Disaster Management Authority have been alerted to the crisis. Officials said efforts are now underway to restore access, with a request made to urgently rebuild the damaged bridges.
Meanwhile, soldiers from the 72nd Battalion of the SSB posted in Yuksom have started using alternate routes to maintain operational movements and ensure some level of connectivity.