New Delhi: Nearly 200 tourists were stranded in the town of Chungthang after heavy rainfall triggered multiple landslides that disrupted road connectivity in North Sikkim. The incident occurred along the key route connecting Chungthang to Lachen, leaving travellers unable to continue their journey.
The landslides struck late on Tuesday night, blocking sections of the road and forcing tourists heading towards Lachen to halt midway. With road access cut off, authorities arranged temporary shelter for the stranded visitors. They were accommodated overnight at facilities set up by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police as well as at a local gurudwara in Chungthang.
Restoration work is currently being carried out by the Border Roads Organisation, which has deployed teams to clear debris and repair the damaged stretch. Officials indicated that travel along the route will only be permitted once safety assessments are completed and weather conditions improve.
Meanwhile, some tourists chose to abandon their travel plans and return to Gangtok. Authorities also confirmed that the road connecting Chungthang to Lachung, which had also been blocked due to landslides, has since been cleared. Tourists travelling from that side were safely escorted back to Gangtok on Wednesday morning.
Officials continue to closely monitor the situation as intermittent rainfall persists across the region, raising concerns about further landslides. The route to Lachen had only recently reopened earlier in March after suffering extensive damage during the 2023 Sikkim Glacial Lake Outburst Flood.
Additionally, several popular tourist destinations in the region, including Tsomgo Lake and Nathula Pass, remain closed due to heavy snowfall over the past few days, affecting tourism activities in the Himalayan state.
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