Imphal, Aug 17 (IANS): Around 500 trucks were stranded along the Imphal-Jiribam National Highway-37 as landslides, triggered by heavy rains, blocked a few portions of the vital road link, an official said on Thursday. 

Officials said that the landslides occurred between Irang and Awangkhul - 2, Khongsang and Awangkhul, and Rangkhui village on Wednesday in mountainous Noney district, blocking the NH-37, leaving round 500 trucks -- goods laden and empty ones -- stranded.

District administrations and other authorities have engaged a large number of workers to clear the mudslides from this vital national highway on an emergency basis and to resume movement of traffic.

According to the official, the incessant monsoon rains during the past few days triggered the landslides.

Due to the blockade of the highway, carrying of food grains and essential items is likely to be affected in the ethnic violence devastated Manipur.

In June 30 last year, a devastating landslide massively damaged a under construction railway infrastructure of the Jiribam-Imphal new railway line in the Noney district, killing at least 61 people, majority of them Territorial Army jawans.

Besides the NH-37, Manipur has another National Highway -- Imphal-Dimapur (NH-2), to connect the land-locked state by road with the rest of the country.

After the ethnic violence broke out in Manipur, the NH-2 was closed for over two months due to blockade by various organisations.