After a big avalanche in northeastern India near the Himalayas, many tourists are still missing.

At least seven people were killed by an avalanche in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim. Seventeen other people were hurt, and an unknown number of tourists were stuck.


Officials say that at least 30 people are thought to be stuck in the snow. All seven people who died on Tuesday were tourists.

Tenzing Loden, a police official, said that the incident happened on the road to Changu Lake on the edge of Gangtok, the capital of the Himalayan state.

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After the avalanche, people who were still alive were dug out of the snow and taken to a hospital for treatment. The avalanche happened near the Nathu La pass, which is a popular tourist spot near the border with China.


Five to six vehicles with up to 30 tourists on their way to Nathu La, which is between Sikkim and Tibet, are thought to be buried in the snow, according to the army.


An army statement said that the incident happened at 11:30 am (06:00 GMT).

"We still don't know how many people are still trapped," Loden said. "Seventeen people have been rescued, and eight of them are in critical condition and have been taken to a hospital."


Rescue workers had said before that they thought at least 70 people were buried in the snow.


Loden Lepcha said that rescue work was still going on at the scene. He also said that when the avalanche hit, people were taking pictures near a stream.


Avalanches are common in the Himalayas, which is bad for the environment and has been hurt badly by global warming. Last year, an avalanche in the northern part of Uttarakhand killed 27 people who were learning to be mountain climbers.

Sikkim, which is also called the "Land of Mystic Splendor," is visited by thousands of tourists every year. It is near the third highest mountain in the world, Mount Khangchendzonga.


SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES