Gangtok: Continuous heavy rainfall has left nearly 1,500 tourists stranded across North Sikkim as landslides have blocked key routes, particularly in the Lachen and Lachung areas, officials confirmed on Saturday.
Meanwhile, search and rescue operations for eight tourists who went missing following a tragic vehicle accident on Thursday night have been suspended due to worsening weather and a rising Teesta river.
The incident occurred in Mangan district when a vehicle carrying 11 tourists veered off the road and plunged over 1,000 feet into the Teesta near Munsithang, along the Lachen–Lachung highway.
One person died at the scene, two others were rescued with injuries, and eight remain unaccounted for.
Mangan Superintendent of Police Sonam Detchu Bhutia reported that 115 tourists are currently stranded in Lachen and approximately 1,350 in Lachung.
He added that roads have been blocked at multiple points due to landslides and tourists have been advised to remain in their hotels until the routes are cleared.
Relentless rain continues to lash the region, particularly the Chungthang subdivision.
Power supply, which had been disrupted since Friday afternoon, was restored by Saturday evening. Efforts are ongoing to restore drinking water supplies by Sunday.
Mobile connectivity, down for nearly 24 hours, was re-established around 3 pm on Saturday.
The water level in the Teesta river has risen sharply due to a cloudburst, forcing officials to temporarily halt search operations.
Bhutia stated that the search would resume as soon as conditions permit. Four identity cards and six mobile phones have so far been recovered from the riverbanks near the accident site.
District Collector Anant Jain is stationed at the crash location and is personally overseeing the rescue efforts.
Of the 11 individuals in the vehicle, two—Swayam Supratim Nayak and Sairaj Jena, both from Odisha—were rescued and are currently receiving treatment at STNM Hospital in Gangtok.
The deceased victim has not yet been publicly identified.
The eight individuals still missing include Ajit Kumar Nayak, Sunita Nayak, Sahil Jena, and Itshiri Jena from Odisha; Debjyoti Joy Dev and Swapnanil Deb from Tripura; and Kaushalendra Pratap Singh and Ankita Singh from Uttar Pradesh.
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The driver, Passang Denu Sherpa of Singhik in North Sikkim, is also among those missing.
Authorities have suspended the issuance of tourist permits for North Sikkim and confirmed that no permits will be issued on Sunday either.
Although road access to Lachung has been partially restored, the route from Pegong (Chungthang) to Phidang via Shipgyer and Sangkalang remains impassable due to multiple landslides.
Officials continue to advise extreme caution, with adverse weather conditions expected to persist in the coming days.
