Incessant rainfall and a swollen Teesta River have disrupted rescue operations and left over 1,500 tourists marooned across north Sikkim, as search efforts for eight missing persons were suspended on Saturday.
The eight tourists went missing after their vehicle plunged over 1,000 feet into the Teesta near Munsithang in Mangan district late on Thursday. The group had been travelling along the Lachen-Lachung highway when the incident occurred. One person was confirmed dead, while two others were rescued with injuries.
“A continuous heavy rainfall and a swollen Teesta river have hampered the search to locate the eight missing persons,” Mangan Superintendent of Police Sonam Detchu Bhutia said on Saturday.
Among the 11 occupants of the ill-fated vehicle, two—Swayam Supratim Nayak and Sairaj Jena, both from Odisha—were pulled out alive and are currently receiving treatment at STNM Hospital in Gangtok.
Authorities identified the missing as four tourists from Odisha—Ajit Kumar Nayak, Sunita Nayak, Sahil Jena and Itshiri Jena—two from Tripura—Debjyoti Joy Dev and Swapnanil Deb—and two from Uttar Pradesh—Kaushalendra Pratap Singh and Ankita Singh.
The driver, Passang Denu Sherpa from Singhik in north Sikkim, was also aboard the vehicle. Mangan District Collector Anant Jain confirmed that four identity cards and six mobile phones had been recovered from the banks of the river near the crash site.
Also read: One dead, eight missing as vehicle plunges into Teesta in Sikkim
Tourists trapped, roads blocked
A total of 1,465 tourists were confirmed stranded as of Saturday—115 in Lachen and 1,350 in Lachung—after multiple landslides blocked approach routes in the Chungthang and Theeng areas of Mangan.
“Since exit from both directions is closed due to landslides at multiple locations, the tourists have been advised to remain in their hotels, and once the roads are completely opened, they shall be shifted,” the Superintendent of Police added.
Authorities have refrained from issuing tourist permits for travel to north Sikkim on Saturday and Sunday, anticipating further disruptions.
Road restoration work continued through Sunday morning after one base of the Phidang Bailey Bridge—connecting Mangan to Chungthang—was partially damaged by Teesta’s forceful current.
Officials attributed the dramatic rise in the river’s level to a cloudburst in the upper reaches. Mobile connectivity, which was disrupted for nearly 24 hours, was restored at 3 pm on Saturday, while power supply—cut off since Friday afternoon—was resumed later in the day. Drinking water restoration was also underway and expected to be completed by Sunday.
A video showed the river breaching its banks amid heavy rains, as anxious locals looked on from the shore.
Though the Lachung road was cleared for vehicular movement by Saturday evening, the Pegong–Phidang route via Shipgyer and Sangkalang remained impassable due to debris and unstable slopes.
Mangan DC Anant Jain stated that he was stationed at the accident site to supervise ongoing search operations, though officials indicated that efforts may remain suspended until the Teesta’s level recedes and weather conditions stabilise.
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