Avalanche hits Sikkim’s Nathu La, kills seven tourists

An avalanche killed seven tourists in Sikkim, with rescue workers calling off the search for bodies as night fell. 23 people were rescued alive from the snow. (Reuters)

The avalanche hit the arterial Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, which connects Gangtok to Nathu La at the China border, around 11.30 am, trapping five-six vehicles with around 30 people under the snow.

Those injured were admitted to different hospitals in Gangtok, around 55 km away. (Express Photo)

The tourists were not permitted to travel beyond Milestone 13 due to inclement weather, but they forced the tour operators and the drivers to take them to the area where the incident happened, a police officer told PTI. (Reuters)

The road has been opened for traffic by the Border Roads Organisation as the snow was cleared. (AP)

Some 350 people in 80 vehicles, stranded on the road because of the snow, were being brought back to Gangtok. (Reuters)