Updated on Sunday, July 05, 2009, 00:14 IST

Gangtok, July 04: A labourer was killed and a steel girder bridge over River Barkhola washed away following torrential rains and a massive landslide which disrupted vehicular traffic between east and north Sikkim.

A labourer, identified as Sanjay Tamang, was washed away in a sudden gush of water while he was working at a culvert near the bridge on Rangrang-Dikchu road, officials said adding the body was later recovered some distance away.

A Border Road Organization (BRO) official said the bridge with a length of 4.15 km was washed away following a landslide.

Some vehicles were stranded on either end of the bridge.

The Project Swastik engineers will take up restoration work of the vital bridge, they said adding it will take upto seven days to restore it.

Bureau Report