Sikkim Avalanche: Efforts On To Find Trapped Tourists As Rescue Operations Resume

Rescue operations to find survivors trapped under the snow due to an avalanche in Sikkim are underway. Seven tourists had died on Tuesday due to the avalanche.

Sikkim Avalanche: The rescue operation to find trapped tourists in the avalanche that hit Sikkim on Tuesday is underway. According to PTI, the Indian Army, Border Road Organisation (BRO) and police were carrying out rescue and search operations near 15th Mile on Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg in Sikkim for the second day on Wednesday.

Officials have told PTI that the operations are being conducted to find out if more tourists are trapped in the massive avalanche that killed seven people. 

Seven tourists were killed and 13 others were injured after a massive avalanche hit East Sikkim's Nathu La area on Tuesday morning at 11:30 am, burying their vehicles under the snow, PTI reported. The avalanche hit the Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, which connects the state capital Gangtok to Nathu La at the China border. Around five-six vehicles with about 30 people were trapped under the snow.

More than 150 vacationers were reported to be in the area when the avalanche hit. At least 50 more tourists were stuck till 3 pm on Tuesday.

"We have launched rescue and search operations since 8 am to find out if any tourists are trapped in the snow near 15th Mile, the East Sikkim District Collector Tushar Nikhane told PTI over the phone.

He said that details on the number of deaths, injured and those found alive would be shared once the rescue operation concludes.

PTI reported that the 13 injured persons were admitted to STNM hospital where the attending doctors discharged nine of them after first aid, while four others were undergoing treatment.

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang visited STNM on Tuesday night and interacted with the injured tourists. He also gave instructions to the hospital authorities to provide the best possible care to the injured ones. 

Sikkim's East District, which witnessed a massive avalanche that claimed several lives on Tuesday, ranks ninth in landslide density and risk exposure among all districts in the country.

According to the Landslide Atlas of India, released by ISRO's Hyderabad-based National Remote Sensing Centre, Sikkim witnessed 1,561 landslides between 2011 and 2017, with most falling in the category of event-based landslides triggered by earthquakes or heavy rainfall.