India-Bhutan trade suspended due to lockdown in Himalayan kingdom

Trade across the India-

Bhutan border through Jaigaon in West Bengal's Alipurduar district was suspended after a lockdown was imposed to curb the rise in COVID-19 cases in the Himalayan kingdom, an official said on Wednesday.

The border gates between India's Jaigaon and Bhutan's Phuentsholing were closed after the total lockdown came into force in the neighbouring country on Tuesday, an Alipurduar district official said.

"Border trade through Jaigaon has stopped completely," he said.

Even though three districts of West Bengal -- Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Kalimpong -- share a border with Bhutan, the major chunk of trade with the Himalayan kingdom takes place through the Jaigaon-Phuentsholing section.

Jaigaon serves as a major gateway for Bhutan to the rest of India through Siliguri that lies around 150 km west of the border town.