Friday, May 25, 2007

Landslide strands tourists in Sikkim

GANGTOK, May 25: Landslides triggered by heavy rainfall over the past four days made things difficult for tourists at Bitu in North Sikkim today. The road that connects Gangtok to North Sikkim was closed yesterday due to a landslide at Pangthang. Vehicles, however, reached Gangtok using Rakdong-Tintek route. Tourists and government employees were stranded at Bitu today due to the landslide.Landslides have also been reported on the road between Pelling and Yoksum in West Sikkim. The road was closed for traffic for the whole day yesterday, leaving the vehicles carrying tourists with no other option but to use the longer route ~ Legship and Geyzing ~ to reach their destinations. In Gangtok, a minor landslide was occurred at Sichey and Burtuk today.
(Statesman News Service)