1,350 Tourists Stranded in Lachung, Lachen; 8 Missing

Rescue efforts for 8 missing tourists, swept away by the Teesta River on 29 May, are paused due to rising water levels

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

Efforts to evacuate more than 1,350 stranded tourists from Lachung and Lachen in north Sikkim remained suspended today due to continuous heavy rainfall and extensive damage to roads and bridges, officials said. Superintendent of police, Mangan district, Sonam Detchu Bhutia, confirmed that adverse weather conditions and infrastructure damage had made evacuation efforts impossible for now.

A total of 1,236 domestic tourists and two foreign nationals remain stranded in Lachung, while 112 domestic tourists and four foreign nationals are stuck in Lachen, Mr. Bhutia said.