A landslide caused by heavy rains on the Hill Cart road in Darjeeling has snapped the road link of the hill station with the rest of the country.
Kurseong Sub-Divisional Officer Dibyendu Das said the landslide which snapped 50 per cent of the Hill Cart road on Sunday, which also serves as National Highway 55, also damaged two houses belonging to a police official and a retired tea worker K C Lama.
Lama and four of his family members were trapped when the slab of the guard wall on Hill Cart road slided on to the house. Fire tender workers rescued them using a group ladder, Das said.
Relief Officer Augistin Lapcha said the NH authority had agreed to compensate the loss due to damage of houses.
The SDO said the Highway Authority were engaged in repair work, which would take at least two days' time.
The district administration has requested the N F Railway Authority to suspend the movement of the toy train between Kurseong and Darjeeling till the road was repaired.
During the period, the district administration would try to run small vehicles by levelling the railway track and making it fit for car movement.
Small vehicles, however, were plying through Bagoda and Mirik, the SDO said adding, heavy rains were affecting repair work.
