MANGAN, June 1 — Nearly 1,500 tourists remain stranded in the remote regions of Lachen and Lachung in north Sikkim after incessant rains triggered multiple landslides, cutting off key roadways, officials said on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the search for eight missing tourists—who were swept away in the Teesta river after their vehicle plunged over 1,000 feet down a gorge—has been suspended due to a dangerous rise in the river’s water level, authorities confirmed.
The accident occurred late Thursday night near Munsithang, along the Lachen-Lachung highway in Mangan district, when a tourist vehicle carrying 11 people veered off the road and fell into the Teesta river.
One person was killed, while two others were rescued and are currently being treated at the STNM Hospital in Gangtok. The remaining eight passengers, including the driver, are still missing.
“A continuous heavy rainfall and a swollen Teesta river have hampered the search to locate the eight missing persons. The search will resume as soon as weather conditions improve,” said Mangan SP Sonam Detchu Bhutia.
District Collector Anant Jain is stationed at the accident site to supervise the rescue and relief efforts.
The SP said four identity cards and six mobile phones were recovered from the riverbanks near the site. The deceased has not yet been publicly identified.
Among those still missing are:
- Ajit Kumar Nayak, Sunita Nayak, Sahil Jena, and Itshiri Jena from Odisha
- Debjyoti Joy Dev and Swapnanil Deb from Tripura
- Kaushalendra Pratap Singh and Ankita Singh from Uttar Pradesh
The vehicle’s driver has been identified as Passang Denu Sherpa, a resident of Singhik, North Sikkim.
The two survivors, identified as Swayam Supratim Nayak and Sairaj Jena, both from Odisha, were rescued on the night of the incident.
As per latest updates, 1,350 tourists are stranded in Lachung, while 115 are in Lachen, SP Bhutia said.
“Since exit from both directions is closed due to landslides at multiple locations, the tourists have been advised to remain in their hotels. Once the roads are cleared, they will be safely moved out,” he added.
Heavy rainfall battered the district throughout Saturday, particularly affecting Chungthang subdivision, officials said.
The Lachung road has been restored, but the route from Pegong (Chungthang) to Phidang via Shipgyer and Sangkalang remains blocked due to fresh landslides, an official said.
No tourist permits were issued on Saturday, and authorities confirmed that permits for North Sikkim will remain suspended on Sunday as well.
Power supply, which was cut off on Friday afternoon, has now been restored, and mobile connectivity was re-established by 3 pm Saturday. Efforts are underway to restore drinking water supply by Sunday, the administration said.
Officials cautioned that due to a cloudburst, the Teesta river remains dangerously swollen, further complicating both rescue and relief operations.
