2 out of 7 dead tourists are Bengalis, many are still missing

• April 04, 2023

Seven tourists died in an avalanche in Sikkim. At least 11 people were injured. About 30 tourists got stuck in the snow with about 5-6 cars. The incident has created a lot of excitement in the hilly state. According to the administration, the bodies of seven tourists were recovered till 4 pm. Among the dead are a woman and a child. So far it is known that 2 Bengalis are among the dead. However, their identity is not yet known. Among the remaining five people, 2 people are from Uttar Pradesh and 3 people are from Nepal.

Army rescued 27 tourists alive. The Chief Minister of Sikkim has expressed grief over the incident. According to administration sources, the avalanche occurred on JN Road between mile 13 and 17 near Sangamo Lake in East Sikkim, 28 km from Gangtok on Tuesday afternoon. According to the administration, this terrible avalanche happened around 11:30 pm on Tuesday. Due to the collapse, the tourists on the road were said to have fallen into the ditch. The incident has spread panic among the tourists. A number of tourist-laden cars also fell into the ditch. The Indian Army, Sikkim Police, Disaster Response Team and various voluntary organizations were involved in the rescue operation. Several people were rescued and admitted to hospital in Gangtok with serious injuries.

Union Minister Amit Shah expressed grief over the incident. He tweeted, "My condolences to the bereaved family members. Strict vigil is being kept on the whole matter. Disaster response forces are also on the spot. Wishing the injured a speedy recovery." But tourists are not allowed beyond 13 miles, police said. But on Tuesday, the tourists forced tour operators and drivers to take them further up. At such a height, the weather changes again and again. Due to which the tourists have faced such accidents.

After the accident, the road was reopened as soon as the ice cleared. However, around 80 vehicles and 350 passengers were sent back to Gangtok. Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has expressed grief over the incident. He also wished for the speedy recovery of the injured.

Several hundreds of tourists were stuck near Nathula and Changu lakes in recent snow storms. The army rescued the tourists there through Operation Himrahat. After that, about one and a half thousand tourists were stuck in the snow. Similarly, those tourists were also rescued by the Indian army. However, such avalanches have not occurred in Sikkim in recent times.

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