Gangtok, April 25 - Around 1,000 tourists are stranded in North Sikkim due to landslides during heavy rains in the Himalayan state. Officials said that around 200 tourist vehicles were stranded in Chungthang on Thursday and the tourists are staying in a gurdwara there. Chungthang is about 100 km from the state capital Gangtok.
Police said that there were large-scale landslides at Munshithang on the Lachen-Chungthang road and Lema/Bob on the Lachung-Chungthang road and the situation has worsened due to incessant rains in the area. Officials said that the district administration has directed all tour operators not to send tourists to North Sikkim on Friday and until further notice. Authorities have cancelled all permits issued to tourists to enter the area on April 25. According to the local administration, the roads leading to Lachung and Lachen have been badly affected, leaving around 1,000 tourists stranded. Lachung and Lachen are hill stations known for their natural beauty and proximity to popular tourist destinations like Gurudongmar Lake and Yumthang Valley.