Sikkim Stranded: Landslides Leave Tourists Trapped

Tourists Trapped in Sikkim Hill Stations After Landslides

Around 1,000 tourists are still stuck in the high-altitude hill stations of Lachen and Lachung in north Sikkim after heavy rains triggered landslides this week. These landslides have damaged roads, making it impossible for tourists to leave.

On Thursday, continuous rainfall caused landslides near Munshithang on the road to Lachen from Chungthang and near Lima on the road to Lachung from Chungthang. This stranded tourists, some of whom had to spend the night in unexpected places like police stations, gurudwaras, and even local villagers’ homes.

Thankfully, 1,500 tourists who were stranded on the road were rescued on Friday. They’ve all headed back to Gangtok.

The situation is serious enough that all travel permits to north Sikkim have been cancelled, including any that were already issued. Authorities are urging tour operators not to send any more tourists to the area until the roads are safe again.

This isn’t the first time these areas have been hit hard by natural disasters. Lachen was one of the places worst affected by the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood in October 2023. It was cut off from the rest of Sikkim for almost a year and a half. The area only reopened to tourists in March of this year.