800 tourists stranded in Sikkim's Lachen after road breach

Around 800 tourists are stranded at Lachen in Sikkim's Mangan district as the road connecting it to Chungthang has been closed due to a breach, officials said on Sunday.

The breach occurred near the Tarum Chu bridge on the Lachen-Chungthang Road, they said.

The Mangan district administration has issued a public advisory announcing the temporary closure of the road near Tarum Chu Bridge, leaving the 800 tourists stranded in Lachen, they said.

According to officials, all tourists currently in Lachen have been instructed to remain where they are and avoid any movement for the night due to unsafe weather conditions and potential risks along the route.

Authorities have planned an evacuation operation for stranded tourists on Monday morning, subject to improvement in weather conditions and successful snow clearance along the Dongkya La axis.

The evacuation route is expected to pass through Lachen–Dongkya La–Lachung–Gangtok.

The district administration is working in close coordination with multiple agencies, including police, ITBP, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and the Indian Army, to ensure a safe and timely evacuation.

Officials stated that road restoration and snow clearance efforts are being carried out on a war footing. However, the exact timing of the evacuation will depend on real-time assessments of weather and road safety.

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