Sikkim: Landslide hits Yumthang valley; blockade on road & communication 

A Massive landslide hit Sikkim’s Yumthang valley on August 31st around 4 pm in the evening. 

70 tourists, who were stranded at Poom on the way to Yumthang in the northern part of Sikkim, have been rescued. 

Also, 8 tourist vehicles were stranded due to the complete closure of roads. 

The roads leading to the Yumthang were blocked at Poom due to a landslide as the rain continued to pound most parts of the state. 

The army, Lachung police, and Members of the Hotel Association of Lachung were called in to help the tourists get out of Poom under Lachung Dzomsa Area. 

Earlier, the intense rainfall activity in Northeast India, including Sikkim and North Bengal regions was due to the ‘break monsoon’ period, the period when the monsoon trough shifts closer to the foothills of the Himalayas, which leads to a sharp decrease in rainfall over most parts of the country. 

Earlier in the month of June of this year, landslides occurred throughout the State and NH 10 due to incessant rainfall. The public and tourists were advised to avoid unnecessary travel, especially in North Sikkim and East Sikkim for the next 72 hours. Taxi drivers were also advised not to travel due to landslides/mudslides and reduction in visibility.