Several tourists were successfully evacuated on Monday.
Guwahati:
Several tourists stranded between Tsomgo Lake and Thegu in East Sikkim after a hailstorm and snowfall were successfully evacuated on Monday, officials said.
The tourists and vehicles that were stuck due to the unexpected weather condition were moved to secure areas by a joint team of Sikkim Police and the Indian Army. No casualties or major injuries were reported, officials said.
Rescue teams also provided immediate assistance and arranged for temporary shelters for those affected.
In view of the heavy snowfall on Sunday afternoon that blocked roads, Nathula Pass was closed to tourists and no new fresh permits for travel to the area were issued on Monday.
On Sunday as well, several tourist vehicles near Nathula had to be evacuated with the help of the Sikkim Police and local residents after unexpected snowfall blocked roads. Authorities said preventive measures were crucial to avoid any untoward incident.