Sikkim inundated with rains, over a thousand people including tourists stranded
The northeastern hill state of Sikkim in India has once again been hit by a natural disaster. About 1,300 tourists have been stranded in the state due to landslides, rising river water and road closures caused by continuous heavy rains. Among them, there are foreign nationals as well as domestic tourists. News, NDTV.
The northern part of the state, especially the Lachen and Lachung valleys in Mangan district, have been the worst affected. 1,276 domestic tourists and 2 foreign nationals are stranded in that area. They are unable to return to their destinations due to road closures. Earlier, there were reports of tourists going missing in rain-related accidents in the same region.
On May 29, eight tourists went missing when a car fell into the Teesta river in Munshithang area of North Sikkim, and their trace is still unknown. In addition, the Bailey Bridge in the Phidang area, which was damaged by the flash flood caused by the glacier crevasses in 2023, was rebuilt, but it was damaged again this year.
Sonam Kipa Bhutia, deputy chairman of the Mangan district panchayat, said that the condition of the roads in North Sikkim is terrible. About 700 to 800 tourists may still be stranded in the high hills. The Phidang Bridge, which was our main hope, is now also at risk.
Sonam Dechu Bhutia, senior police officer of the district, said that the roads have been cut, the communication system is weak. The area is now in a state of extreme uncertainty.
It is worth noting that although there is a risk of such disasters in Sikkim every year during the monsoon season, the situation has become more complex this time. Although the government and local administration have said to take emergency measures, rescue work is being hampered due to the disaster and weather.
