Siliguri: Around 1,000 tourists are stranded in north Sikkim since Thursday after landslides hit the region.
Most of the tourists are stuck in high-altitude hill stations Lachen and Lachung, informed Mangan superintendent of police (SP) Sonam Detchu Bhutia.
About 1,500 others, whose vehicles were stranded on the road due to landslides, have been luckier. They spent the night in places like police stations, gurudwara, Indo-Tibetan Border Police camp and some were also hosted by local villagers, before being rescued in the morning.
“They were taken out on Friday morning and have already left for Gangtok,” Hindustan Times quoted Bhutia as saying.
Landslides, triggered by continuous rainfall since Thursday afternoon, damaged roads at many places near Munshithang on way to Lachen from Chungthang, and near Lima on way to Lachung from Chungthang, said Bhutia.
All travel permits for north Sikkim were cancelled on Friday, including those issued in advance, because of the dangerous road condition. Tour operators have been advised not to send tourists to north Sikkim till the situation improves.
It may be recalled that Lachen was among places worst hit due to the October 2023 glacial lake outburst flood. Having been disconnected for almost a year and a half, Lachen welcomed back tourists from March this year.
