Rescue operations were brought to a halt and over 1,500 tourists remained stranded across North Sikkim on Saturday after continuous rains triggered multiple landslides and dangerously raised the Teesta River’s water level, officials said.
Search teams had been racing to find eight missing tourists after a tragic accident on Thursday, when a vehicle plunged over 1,000 feet into the swollen Teesta River near Munsithang in Mangan district. One person died, two were injured, and eight others have been missing since. However, operations were suspended Friday due to rising river levels and relentless rain.
The landslides have severed the critical road link connecting Chungthang to the tourist hubs of Lachen and Lachung. “Around 115 tourists are stranded in Lachen, and 1,350 are stuck in Lachung,” said Mangan SP Sonam Detchu Bhutia. “Tourists have been advised to stay inside hotels. Once roads reopen, they will be shifted out.”
No tourist permits are being issued for North Sikkim, and none will be issued on Sunday either, authorities confirmed.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Mangan, Gyalshing, and Soreng districts, warning of more heavy rainfall, possible landslides, and flooding. In response, the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) also raised its alert level.
“The water level of the Teesta River continues to rise, and heavy showers are expected to continue,” said an official bulletin. The Gangtok DM cautioned residents to remain alert, especially those living along the Teesta belt from Dikchu to Singtam.
Authorities have activated disaster response teams and instructed officials to remain in contact with their field staff. A 24/7 District Control Room has been set up for emergency updates (03592-204995).
“The general public is requested not to panic but to stay alert,” read the DM’s statement. Nodal officers and disaster personnel have been asked to spread alerts to locals and coordinate closely with villagers near vulnerable riverbanks.
This crisis comes just months after the Teesta valley was devastated by a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), raising fresh concerns about North Sikkim’s growing climate vulnerabilities.
Increasingly frequent and intense weather events in Sikkim. Early warning systems and better road and drainage infrastructure are no longer optional they’re urgent necessities.