An avalanche was triggered in the Indian Himalayas on the road to a popular tourist destination on the Chinese border on April 4, 2023. – /AFP
At least seven people died on Tuesday after an avalanche slammed into a road in the Indian Himalayas near the Chinese border, authorities said.
The avalanche occurred around 11:10 a.m. (local time) Tuesday on a busy road that connects Gangtok to Nathu La, a tourist region in the state of Sikkim (northeast), neighboring Tibet.
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Lt. Col. Mahendra Rawat, an army spokesman, confirmed the death of at least seven people among the 23 tourists who were rescued until 4:00 p.m. (local time) and transferred to medical facilities in the Indian army nearby. “Sadly, seven people succumbed to their injuries in hospital.said Lt. Col. Rawat. “It is feared that 20 to 30 tourists in five or six vehicles en route to Nathu La have been buried in snow“, he added.
State disaster management teams, the military and police were continuing to search for those still missing, according to the military statement. There was no indication that foreign nationals were among the victims of the avalanche. Sikkim police and government officials could not be immediately reached by AFP.