North Sikkim landslides: 150–200 tourists stranded in Chungthang

GANGTOK: Around 150 to 200 tourists have been stranded in Chungthang in North Sikkim after multiple landslides triggered by heavy rainfall, District Collector Anant Jain said.Jain said the landslides occurred along key routes connecting Gangtok to Lachen and Chungthang to Lachen, leaving tourists headed for Lachen stuck at Chungthang. Tourists have been accommodated at an ITBP camp and a gurudwara, according to news agency ANI. The district collector said movement towards Lachen remains disrupted due to road blockages at multiple points. However, if weather conditions improve, authorities will assess the situation and may allow travel once routes are declared safe. Meanwhile, the road to Lachung has been cleared, and tourists from that side have been safely sent back to Gangtok. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation as intermittent rainfall continues in the region. Earlier this month, a severe thunderstorm accompanied by a hailstorm hit parts of Pakyong, Gangtok, and Mangan districts, leading to the tripping of several 66 kV transmission lines and causing power disruptions in some areas. According to the state Power Department, in Pakyong district, one conductor of the 66 kV Rorathang-Rongli transmission line snapped near the Amba area, affecting power supply to Rongli and Rhenock. In Gangtok district, sparking accompanied by a loud noise was reported near the Namli area on the 66 kV Marchak-Macleods transmission line, affecting supply to Nimtar, Topakhani and Singtam, a release said. Additionally, the 66 kV LLHP-Sichey transmission line could not be sustained during trial charging.