More than 1,400 tourists, mostly from Bengal, were left stranded in north Sikkim on Saturday after incessant rain triggered landslides that disrupted road connectivity at several places.

Sources said overnight rainfall had triggered multiple landslides at Theeng and Chungthang in north Sikkim.

“According to our information, 112 tourists are stranded in Lachen, while another
1,350 visitors are stuck in Lachung. Most of the tourists are from Bengal,” said a source.

Lachen and Lachung are two famous tourist points in north Sikkim. Tourists stay at Lachen to visit the famous Gurudongmar Lake situated at 17,800 feet.

Lachung is near the picturesque Yumthang valley, which is situated at an altitude of around 11,600 feet.

The IMD office in Gangtok has predicted rainfall in north Sikkim till Sunday. Sources said both the administration and the army were looking after the welfare of the stranded tourists.

Tourists traceless

The rain also swelled the Teesta river, which affected operations to trace missing tourists from Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Tripura. The SUV that the tourists were travelling in had plunged almost 1,000 feet into the Teesta on Thursday night at Munshithang in north Sikkim.

“The rescue operations were hampered as the water level had risen in the river because of incessant rain,” Mangan district collector Anant Jain said.

Of the 11 people travelling in the vehicle, two people from Odisha were rescued on Thursday. The remaining nine, including the local driver, are still missing. The SUV was travelling from Lachen to Lachung.

The vehicle has been spotted in the river but could not be retrieved because of strong currents.

Sources said the Teesta had risen by almost four meters. “The river has changed its course at the place where the accident occurred,” said a source.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident. “The condition of the stretch of road where the accident occurred is good. There are no visual obstructions along the stretch either,” said a source.