After torrential rainfall lashed North Sikkim on Friday, the Indian Army along with the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on Saturday rescued more than 2,000 tourists after they were stranded due to landslides in the district.
Heavy rainfall triggered flash floods and landslides in North Sikkim and caused road blockages. A bridge near Chungthang was washed away due to the inclement weather. Around 3,500 tourists were stranded in the area.
Areas such as Lachen and Lachung in North Sikkim were been cut off from the rest of the state due to flash flood, officials said, adding that it caused severe damage to infrastructure along the highway, making it unsafe for any kind of vehicular movement.
As a result, all tourist permits have been cancelled for Tsomgo Lake, Baba Mandir, Nathula and North Sikkim till further notice.
The North Sikkim district administration has set up helpline numbers -- 8509822997 / 116464265 -- for people to contact in case of any query about stranded tourists, officials told news agency PTI.
