40 stranded tourists airlifted from Sangla

Shimla: 40 tourists including 24 foreigners stranded in Sangla valley of Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh for the past five days were airlifted on Friday.

Incessant rainfall in the region had triggered massive landslides that blocked the road leading to the picturesque Sangla Valley.

Sixteen Indian tourists from West Bengal and 24 foreigners from Germany, France, Brazil and Holland were airlifted in three sorties by the state-run chopper, Deputy Commissioner Mamta Chaudhary said.

The Indian tourists were airlifted to Shimla, while the rest were taken to Reckong Peo, the district headquarters town.

Chaudhary said 35 Indian tourists are still stranded in Sangla village. She said rest of the tourists would be airlifted tomorrow on Saturday.