At least 200 tourists were stranded at Chungthang in North Sikkim after multiple landslides, triggered by heavy rainfall, disrupted road connectivity, officials said on Wednesday. Giving details, Mangan District Collector Anant Jain said the landslides occurred along the crucial Chungthang-Lachen route on Tuesday night, leaving tourists headed for Lachen stuck midway.
Stranded visitors were accommodated overnight at an ITBP camp and a gurudwara in Chungthang, he said.
Restoration work by BRO is underway
Restoration work by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is underway, officials said, adding that authorities will review the situation and may allow travel only after routes are declared safe, depending on weather conditions. Some tourists have since returned to Gangtok and cancelled their travel plans, they said.
In the meantime, the road to Lachung, which was also blocked on Tuesday night, has been cleared, and tourists from that side were safely sent back to Gangtok on Wednesday morning.
Key tourist destinations closed due to heavy snowfall
Officials said the situation is being monitored closely as intermittent rainfall persists in the region. The Lachen route had only recently reopened on March 9 after being severely damaged in the 2023 glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF).
Additionally, key tourist destinations such as Tsomgo Lake and Nathula remain closed due to heavy snowfall over the past few days.
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