Imphal, August 28 2010: An empty truck was set on fire by suspected blockade supporters on NH-39 in Senapati district even as windshields of more than five loaded trucks were smashed by blockade supporters on NH-39, reports said today.

Meanwhile, following clearance works at the landslide area near Tadubi traffic has resumed today on NH-39, the report added.

The state was cut off from the rest of the country when landslides triggered by torrential rains blocked both NH-39 and 53 on Friday.

But with hectic efforts of the BRTF , traffic on NH-39 opened this afternoon having cleared the mud and rocks on the highway at Ekai village near Tadubi in Senapati district.

The burning of an empty truck bearing Nagaland registration number, NL01A-2241, took place at a spot on the highway near Mt Everest College, three kilometer away towards Imphal from Senapati Police station at about 1.50 pm.

They torched the truck after forcing it to a corner of the road near a stone crushing centre.

Most of the front of the truck was already damaged before the police and a fire tender could reach the spot and douse it, the police report added.

The empty truck driven by one Sharat was moving at the rear of other trucks leaving Imphal for Dimapur.

How the truck got isolated from the security escort could not be confirmed immediately even though a preliminary police report said it was left behind because it developed a mechanical defect.

On the other hand, with the opening of the road traffic, 83 loaded trucks including five oil tankers and five other light vehicles crossed the landslide area at about 2 pm and headed to Imphal with security escort provided by CRPF personnel.

Windshields of as many as five to six trucks were smashed when blockade supporters stoned at various spots between Mao and Tadubi.

There were no reports of injuries to the truckers in the stoning.

The trucks moved ahead despite the stoning, to cross Senapati and are likely to reach Imphal late this evening.

Mention may be made that due to landslides on NH-39 at Ekai village, two kilometers away from Tadubi, traffic was blocked since yesterday evening, but with the immediate start of clearance works by the authorities, freight trucks and other vehicles started crossing the slide area in the afternoon today.

However, traffic along the Imphal-Jiribam section of NH-53 is yet to be resumed due to the fresh landslide at Kambirong which has blocked traffic totally since yesterday forcing around 200 loaded trucks stranded on the Jiribam side of the highway.

Mud and rocks from a 200 meter hill face slid on the highway blocking totally.

Hectic clearing works of the mud and rocks by BRTF and PWD workers are on.

Due to the landslide all kinds of vehicular traffic has come to a halt.

Around 192 freight trucks coming towards Imphal were stranded at Nungba.

Some empty trucks heading toward Jiribam from Imphal side were also stranded there, the report added.

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