Heavy Rains Trigger Landslides, Leave 200 Tourists Stuck in North Sikkim

Nearly 200 tourists were stranded at Chungthang in North Sikkim after multiple landslides triggered by heavy rainfall disrupted road connectivity, officials said on Wednesday.

Mangan District Collector Anant Jain said the landslides struck the crucial Chungthang–Lachen route on Tuesday night, leaving tourists headed for Lachen stuck midway. The stranded tourists were accommodated overnight at an ITBP camp and a gurudwara in Chungthang.

Authorities have launched restoration efforts on a war footing , with the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) leading operations to reopen the affected routes. Teams have been deployed to clear debris such as mud, rocks, and fallen material , which blocked key stretches of the road. Heavy machinery, including excavators and bulldozers, is being used to expedite the process despite challenging terrain and intermittent rainfall.

Officials said Border Roads Organisation (BRO) personnel are also working to repair damaged road sections and stabilise vulnerable slopes to prevent further disruptions. In severely affected areas, efforts are underway to create temporary diversions to allow limited movement once conditions improve. Continuous monitoring of weather and terrain stability is being carried out, and authorities will permit travel only after routes are declared safe.

Some tourists have since returned to Gangtok and cancelled their travel plans, officials said. Meanwhile, the road to Lachung, which was also blocked on Tuesday night due to landslides, has been cleared. Tourists stranded on that route were safely escorted back to Gangtok on Wednesday morning.

Officials noted that the situation remains under close watch as intermittent rainfall continues in the region, raising concerns about further landslides. The Chungthang–Lachen route had only recently reopened on March 9 after suffering extensive damage during the 2023 glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) , highlighting the area’s vulnerability to natural disasters.

Additionally, key tourist destinations such as Tsomgo Lake and Nathula remain closed due to heavy snowfall over the past few days, further impacting travel in the region.