Sikkim flood havoc: More than 2,000 tourists stranded
1 min read 17 Jun 2023, 11:16 AM ISTOver 2,000 local and foreign tourists are stranded in North Sikkim due to road blockages and flash floods caused by heavy rains since Thursday. Road clearance work will begin only after the rain stops. Tourist permits for certain areas have been cancelled till further notice.
PremiumMore than 2,000 local and foreign tourists are stranded in North Sikkim due to a road blockage caused by incessant rain since Thursday. Officials in the state say road clearance work will begin only after the rain stops.
Quoting officials, news agency PTI reported that the road between North Sikkim's district headquarters Mangan to Chuntang has been blocked at Pegond Supply Khola, resulting in disruption of vehicular traffic.
1,975 local and 36 foreign tourists are stranded in hotels in Lachen and Lachung areas due to the flash floods. Of the 36 foreign tourists, 23 are from Bangladesh, 10 from the USA and three from Singapore. Along with the tourists, 345 four-wheelers and 11 two-wheelers are also stranded in various regions of North Sikkim
According to reports, heavy rains lashed North Sikkim on Thursday night, causing nearby rivers to overflow and flash floods that submerged National Highway 10 at Pegong. Local authorities are assessing the situation in North Sikkim while the Border Roads Organisation is working to clear the debris and restore normalcy. However, reports suggest that it could be some time before the highway is reopened to traffic.
Officials had confirmed on Friday that the flash floods in Sikkim had caused significant damage to the highways, making them unsafe for vehicular movement. They have also left areas such as Lachen and Lachung in north Sikkim cut off from the rest of the state.
A landslide at 13th mile and Thulo Khola, Raila Khola along JN Road of Gangtok-Nathula road has also led to the blockage to roads.
The state government has also cancelled the tourist permits for Tsomgo Lake, Baba Mandir Nathula and North Sikkim till further notice owing to the flash floods.