Seven tourists were killed and a dozen injured after an avalanche struck the Gangtok-NathuLa road in Sikkim on Tuesday afternoon. “All tourists & tourist vehicles have been accounted for. The rescue operation has been called off. Details of recovered tourists will be shared later,” a statement from the NDRF informed.
According to BRO, the avalanche struck 14th mile on Jawaharlal Nehru Road connecting Gangtok to NathuLa pass at approximately 12:15 pm. An estimated 20-30 tourists were feared to be trapped under the snow along with five-six vehicles after the avalanche. “By 3 PM, 14 persons were rescued and taken to a nearby Army medical facility. However, seven people succumbed. The other seven persons were administered first aid and returned to Gangtok,” the Army said in a statement.
Nathu La, one of the most important Himalayan passes in the country, is situated on the border with China and is a major tourist destination because of its scenic beauty. It is over 55 kilometres from Gangtok.
‘All the injured, be they from any state, will be treated here for free,’ says Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang
Sikkim avalanche | “I am saddened by the incident. Rescue work was carried out by State and NDRF officials. Seven people died & we’re trying to ascertain where they are from. If there are more stranded tourists, we’ll carry out the rescue operation again tomorrow,” says Sikkim CM… pic.twitter.com/XFpIcuBK1D
— ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2023
All the injured, be they from any state, will be treated here for free. Even the deceased will be taken to their residence…We have started the helpline number. We’ll come to know how many were tourists, how many died & how many were hospitalized, by tomorrow. It’s already night… pic.twitter.com/s2D6d43h4H
— ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2023