Nearly 1,500 tourists stranded in north Sikkim as rains continue, search for missing 8 suspended

Heavy rains disrupt search for missing tourists after vehicle plunges into Teesta river, leaving one dead and two injured.

Nearly 1,500 tourists were stranded in various parts of north Sikkim on Saturday (May 31, 2025) as the main road was blocked due to landslides triggered by incessant rains, officials said.

On the other side, the search for the missing eight tourists was disrupted by heavy rains, and it was finally suspended after the water level in the Teesta river increased, they said.

One person was killed, two injured, and eight others went missing when a vehicle in which 11 tourists were travelling plunged into the Teesta river in Mangan district on Thursday night. The vehicle plunged more than 1,000 feet into the river near Munsithang along the Lachen-Lachung highway.

Mangan's SP Sonam Detchu Bhutia said 115 tourists are stranded in Lachen and 1,350 tourists in Lachung.

"Since exit from both directions is closed due to landslides at multiple locations, the tourists have been advised to remain in their hotels, and once the roads are completely opened, they shall be shifted," he said.

Incessant rainfall lashed the district throughout the day, especially the Chungthang sub-division, officials said Power supply, which was snapped on Friday afternoon, was restored this evening, while efforts are underway to restore the drinking water supply by Sunday, they said.

The mobile connectivity was restored after nearly 24 hours, around 3 p.m., they said.