Avalanche sweeps away tourists in Indian state of Sikkim
Rescuers search for survivors after an avalanche in the northeastern state of Sikkim, India, on Tuesday. Reuters
Army spokesperson Lt. Col Mahendra Rawat said rescuers pulled out at least 23 tourists from the snow and took them to a hospital for treatment.
India’s Border Roads Organisation said the tourists were hit by the avalanche near the Nathu La mountain pass in Sikkim state.
Local police added that eight survivors were in critical condition.
"We are doing one more check before calling off the rescue operation, since it is getting dark and some more snow has started coming down," senior police official Tenzing Loden Lepcha told Reuters on phone.
"We have accounted for all missing persons, but to be sure we are doing one more check. We have also put out a helpline number for families."
The causes of Tuesday's disaster were not immediately clear.
A video released by the Indian army showed rescuers digging through the snow to find an undetermined number of missing people swept away by the avalanche down a mountain slope.
Nathu La mountain pass is along the border with China and is a major tourist destination.
The ecologically sensitive Himalayan region, which has been severely affected by global warming, is prone to avalanches. Last year 27 trainee mountaineers were killed in an avalanche in the northern Uttarakhand region.
Agencies
