7 Dead After Tourists Swept Away in Avalanche

By Sania Farooqui, CNN

(CNN) -- Seven tourists were killed and 13 others injured in a major avalanche in India's northeastern state of Sikkim, local police said Tuesday.

Some of the survivors were in critical condition and rescue operations are ongoing, senior police official Tenzing Loden Lepcha told CNN.

The avalanche took place near the Nathu La mountain pass and struck a road connecting Nathu La and the state capital Gangtok.

Lepcha told CNN that avalanches were unusual at this time of year, and blamed unseasonal rain and snow in the area.

This is a developing story.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved