At least 900 visitors in a total of 89 vehicles were left stranded following a trip to Nathula and Tsomgo Lake in Sikkim on Saturday night. According to the local police, the tourists were attempting to return to the capital Gangtok when they were left stuck due to heavy snowfall.
Evacuation operations have been launched in Sikkim and as many as 15 vehicles have been saved so far, reported PTI. The rescue operations in Sikkim are being carried out in collaboration with the Army, a police officer informed.
According to the police officer, the rescued vehicles are reaching Sikkim’s capital Gangtok which is 42 kilometers away after being rescued. The thick layer of snow is now being progressively cleared, he added.
On the other hand, some of the tourists stranded due to the heavy snowfall in Sikkim, may be required to spend the night at the nearby Army camp, the official said. The Army has pledged to provide with all necessary assistance for the stranded tourists.
Meanwhile, as a result of the heavy snowfall in East Sikkim, the administration has stopped granting passes for Nathula and Tsomgo Lake for a few days.
Earlier in the week, several reports emerged that a new round of heavy snowfall in Sikkim left over 100 tourist vehicles stuck in the Tsomgo Lake area on JN Road.
It may be noted that this is not the first time Sikkim has experienced such heavy amounts of snowfall. In December 2021, around 275 vehicles carrying tourists were stuck at the Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir, two of the most popular tourist attractions in Sikkim.
However, even with the heavy snowfall, the tourism-dependent state of Sikkim is looking forward to hosting a strong influx of tourists this year.
Elsewhere, Jammu and Kashmir also witnessed the season’s first snowfall which left the Jammu - Srinagar highway blocked. All flights to Srinagar were delayed while train services in Srinagar were also suspended due to snowfall.
