GANGTOK, India, May 17 (UPI) -- Indian troops have rescued some 300 tourists from a Himalayan pass on the India-Tibet border, where they were stranded for two days following an avalanche.
The troops found the tourists trapped in deep snow Monday on the Natu La pass, which connects the northern Indian state of Sikkim to the Tibetan region of China, the BBC reported. The soldiers took seven hours to clear the road of ice and snow piled up to 15 feet high, an army spokesman said.
One of the stranded tourists, Praveen Luthra, who was trapped in his jeep with seven adults and two children, said they had nearly given up hope of rescue when the troops arrived. All the stranded travelers were safe, but some had suffered from exposure.
Officials have announced that the Natu La pass will soon be open to border trade between India and China. However, many traders and companies are apprehensive about the weather conditions all along the pass and fear they may impede trade.
Sikkim is notorious for avalanches. One avalanche there two years ago buried more than 60 people.
