Sikkim avalanche kills 7 tourists

An avalanche killed at least seven tourists in India's Himalayan state of Sikkim near a mountain pass to the Chinese region of Tibet, with several more people feared trapped, the Indian army said. The army said five to six vehicles carrying up to 30 tourists to the strategically located Nathu La pass between Sikkim and Tibet were feared to have been stuck under the snow when the avalanche hit. "We are yet to ascertain how many people are still trapped. 17 people have been rescued, out of which 8 are very critical and have been moved to a hospital," senior police official Tenzing Loden Lepcha told Reuters on phone. The incident took place at 11:30 am, the army statement said. Rescue officials earlier said they feared at least 70 people were under the snow at the site, some 40 km from the state capital Gangtok. Rescue operations were ongoing, Loden Lepcha said, adding that when the avalanche hit, people were taking photographs near a stream. Rescue workers dug with shovels near a waterfall, images released by India's ministry of defence showed.