Sikkim: 6 killed, tourists left stranded as heavy rainfall, landslides batter hill state

At least six people have been killed and around 2,000 tourists are left stranded in Sikkim due to landslides and floods after incessant rainfall, officials said on June 14. 

“It’s been raining continuously for 36 hours. The road to north Sikkim has been damaged in multiple locations, snapping connection to the district,” Hem Kumar Chettri, district magistrate of Mangan, said. 

Personnel and machinery have been deployed to fix the road, Chettri said, adding that the damage was “extensive” and repair will take some time. About 50 houses have been partly or fully damaged by the rains and people have been take to a relief camp. 

“The stranded tourists are all safe but we have not been able to evacuate them because of the damage,” the DM said, adding that 11 of them were foreign nationals. 

Heavy rains triggered landslides at several locations in Mangan district, which lies about 100 km (60 miles) north of the state capital Gangtok. 

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang asked the administration, police and officials of various departments to ensure swift assistance and response to the devastation.  

At least 179 people died last year in Sikkim when a Himalayan glacial lake outburst triggered floods.

Heavy rainfall alert 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heavy rainfall alert for Sikkim till June 17. 

The IMD bulletin said that a cyclonic circulation lies over northeast Assam and neighbourhood and an east-west trough runs from northwest Bihar to Nagaland in lower tropospheric levels. 

“Strong southwesterly/southerly winds are prevailing from Bay of Bengal to northeastern States in lower tropospheric levels,” the bulletin said. 

“Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall very likely over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during June 14-17,” the IMD said. 

The IMD bulletin said that widespread light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds are likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal during the next seven days. 

(With inputs from agencies)