Gangtok: Around 1,500 tourists remained stranded in north Sikkim as heavy rains continued to batter Mangan district for the third successive day on Sunday, officials said.
Two bridges were partially damaged due to inclement weather conditions, they said.
Heavy rains also swept other parts of Sikkim in the past 24 hours.
A landslide occurred near Nimachen Premlakha in East Sikkim, the officials said, adding that commuters have been advised to stay alert and ensure safe travel.
Around 112 tourists remained stranded in Lachen and 1,350 in Lachung due to disruption in road connectivity, they said.
Heavy machinery from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has been deployed to clear the road from Lachung to Chungthang and further from Chungthang to Theeng tunnel.
A major landslide at Theeng had initially blocked the road, but it is now reported to be cleared up to Shipgyer near the GREF camp.
However, a large boulder just a few hundred metres ahead of the camp remains to be removed, the officials said.
BRO teams are expected to clear the obstruction at the earliest.
Mangan district collector Anant Jain, along with other officials, inspected the route from Chungthang to Shipgyer, and onward to Sankalang and Phidang, to determine whether the route is safe for the evacuation of tourists currently stranded in Lachung.
The evacuation of tourists stranded in Lachen is being planned via an alternative route through Zemma-Donkela-Chungthang-Shipgyer-Sankalang-Phidang, the officials said.
Meanwhile, the Zemma approach road has reportedly been washed out due to rising water levels and strong currents of the river, one of the officials said. “Restoration work is expected to begin soon, and the evacuation through this route will commence only once the approach road is rebuilt,” he added.
Meanwhile, a man died after he fell into a manhole as incessant rain caused massive inundation across Tripura, with the state’s capital Agartala witnessing a record rainfall of around 200 mm in just three hours, officials said on Sunday.
Normal life was affected as heavy rain battered the city, many low-lying areas were inundated, and people were seen wading through knee-deep waters in front of Chief Minister Manik Saha’s residence.