GANGTOK: Sikkim is facing severe disruption due to heavy rainfall, which has left nearly 2000 tourists and numerous vehicles stranded.
The deluge has caused multiple roadblocks, hampering rescue efforts and isolating several regions of Sikkim.
Relentless landslides, triggered by heavy rains, are causing difficulties for rescue teams to reach the stranded tourists.
In response to the dire situation, local residents are calling for airlift assistance, but persistent heavy rain is thwarting these efforts.
Authorities have issued warnings to residents along the banks of the Teesta River, advising them to remain vigilant as the river is currently flowing at dangerously high levels.
Sikkim is grappling with extensive damage caused by the incessant rainfall.
Six people have been confirmed dead, and approximately 2000 tourists remain stranded due to massive landslides in Sikkim.
In Mangan district of Sikkim, a newly-constructed bailey bridge at Sangkalang collapsed, severing the connection between Mangan and the areas of Dzongu and Chungthang.
This collapse, along with the landslides, has inundated or damaged several homes and swept away electricity poles.
Popular tourist destinations such as Dzongu, Chungthang, Lachen, and Lachung, known for attractions like Gurudongmar Lake and Yumthang Valley, have been completely cut off from the rest of the country.
Mangan district magistrate Hem Kumar Chettri confirmed that three individuals each lost their lives in the villages of Pakshep and Ambhithang.
Additionally, numerous houses in Geythang and Nampathang have suffered damage.
A relief camp has been set up in Pakshep to aid those displaced by the disaster.