In India, 1,500 tourists were cut off from the world due to floods
Category: Video reporting, PEGI 0+
19 June 2024
At least six people have died this week and around 1,500 tourists are stranded in the Indian state of Sikkim after landslides and floods following incessant rains.
Five more people were missing in the Himalayan foothills, bordering China and a popular tourist destination.
Senior state government official Gopinath Raha said floodwaters from the Teesta River had washed away roads and bridges.
“It rained continuously for 36 hours. The road to north Sikkim was damaged at many places, cutting off connectivity to the area. All the stranded tourists are safe, but we were unable to evacuate them due to the damage. According to preliminary information, 11 of them are foreign nationals,” said Hem Kumar Chettri, district magistrate of Mangana.
The water level in the Teesta river crossed the danger mark on Thursday morning, causing severe damage to roads and snarling traffic. More than 100 vehicles were stranded at various points in north Sikkim. The Sangkalang Bridge collapsed and landslides washed away houses and roads, cutting off popular tourist spots and making it extremely difficult to rescue people.
The Sikkim State Disaster Management Agency said rescue operations were continuing but damage to the local mobile phone network was hampering relief efforts.
