TOURISTS EVACUATED IN NORTH SIKKIM

Tourists evacuated in Sikkim after landslide

Mangan, Sikkim (IANS): Around 350 tourists who were stranded on Saturday night along the North Sikkim Highway after a massive landslide blocked the road have been evacuated, officials said on Sunday.

The tourists were stranded between Mangan and Lachen and Lachung in remote north Sikkim.
According to the District Magistrate North T.N. Kazi, the landslide had taken place at one place - Langkey Khola about seven km from Mangan - and left about 40 vehicles with tourists stranded on the highway.

The tourists were either turned back to their respective places of origin by their travel operators or taken to safer areas by vehicles, Mr. Kazi said.

Paljor Lachungpa, president of Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS), confirmed that representatives of travel agencies from Gangtok had reached the spot and taken care of the tourists.

"We took back many of the tourists to the hotels they were lodged in at Lachen or Lachung. They were lodged there at no extra cost," said Mr. Lachungpa.