Darjeeling: Around 120 tourists stranded near Sandakphu after a night of heavy snowfall were rescued on Saturday by the Singalila Land Rovers Owners’ Association (SLROA). The authorities have shut access to Sandakphu temporarily and redirected all visitors to Tumling.Sandakphu, Bengal’s highest point, was draped in nearly one foot of fresh snow on Saturday morning as it witnessed the season’s longest snowfall of the season. SLROA president Chandan Pradhan said the snowfall lasted throughout the night, significantly increasing snow accumulation along the route.“This time, the intensity was much higher compared to earlier spells. Our teams immediately began clearing routes and rescuing stranded tourists. The first group was brought down safely by 3 pm, and operations are still ongoing,” he said.Pradhan said on Friday, nearly 15 vehicles proceeded towards Sandakphu while five were stationed near Thakum, about 8 km away from Sandakphu. The snowfall began around 10 pm on Friday and continued till about 11 am on Saturday. The earlier spell of snowfall occurred on Feb 21 and 24 this year. “Vehicles from Sandakphu are returning, the Thakum route remains inaccessible and is expected to stay blocked for at least two more days,” added Pradhan.
