Sikkim Avalanche: Death Toll Rises to 7

GANGTOK: A Tuesday afternoon avalanche that hit the Gangtok-Nathu La route in Sikkim resulted in the death of seven tourist and twelve injuries.

"All visitors and their vehicles have been located. The rescue effort has been called off. Information about the rescued tourists will be released later,”according to an NDRF statement. BRO reports that at 12:15 p.m., an avalanche struck the 14th mile of the Jawaharlal Nehru Route between Gangtok and the Nathu La Pass. 

Following the avalanche, it was expected that five to six automobiles and perhaps 20 to 30 people would be stranded beneath the snow. By 3 PM, 14 people had been saved and sent to a neighbouring Army hospital. Nevertheless, seven people passed away. The remaining seven patients received treatment and were then transported back to Gangtok, according to a statement from the Army. 

Due to its breathtaking scenery, Nathu La, one of the most significant Himalayan passes in the nation, is located on the border with China and is a popular tourist attraction. More than 55 miles separate it from Gangtok. According to a weather authority, the East District is witnessing continuous rainfall since Friday, while snow has been falling in higher elevations.

The East District of Sikkim, which was the scene of a large avalanche that killed several people on Tuesday, is the district in the nation with the ninth-highest landslip density and risk exposure. Sikkim saw 1,561 landslides between 2011 and 2017, the majority of which were event-based landslides brought on by earthquakes or torrential rain, according to the Landslide Atlas of India published by ISRO's National Remote Sensing Centre in Hyderabad. 

In terms of landslip density and risk exposure, the South District of Sikkim is in seventh place overall in the nation.

Also Read: Ex-Lover Gifts Music System With Bomb To Bride As Wedding Present, Blast Kills Groom

Also Watch: