NATHU LA

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Context

• Seven people were killed while 20 others have been rescued after five or six vehicles along with 20-30 tourists were hit by an avalanche near Nathu La in East Sikkim.

About Nathu La

• Nathu Lais a mountain pass in the Dongkya Range of the Himalayas between China's Yadong County in Tibet, and the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal in Bengal, South Asia. 
• It separates Sikkim and the Chumbi Valley.
• The pass is 52–54 kilometres east of Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim.

Other Mountain Passes in Sikkim

Goecha La 

• Goecha La is a high mountain pass in Gyalshing district, Sikkim, India in the Himalaya
• The southeast face of Kanchenjunga, the world's third highest mountain, can be viewed from the pass, which is also a base camp for those aspiring to scale the mountain.

Jelep La

• Jelep La is a high mountain pass between Sikkim, India and Tibet Autonomous Region, China.
• It is on a route that connects Lhasa to India. The pass is about 4 km south of Nathu La and is slightly higher.
• It was frequently used for trade between Tibet and India during the British Raj, with Kalimpongserving as the contact point. The Menmecho Lake lies below the Jelep La.
• It passes through the towns of Rongli, Rhenock, Pedong, Algarah, in Sikkim and northern West Bengal.

Naku La

• Naku La is a mountain pass between Tibet Autonomous Region in China and Sikkim in India.
• Naku La has been a flashpoint for Indian and Chinese patrols and military infrastructure construction in the area.

Dongkha la 

• The Dongkha labor Donkia Pass is a high mountain pass in the Himalaya connecting Sikkim in India with Tibet.
• Located in North Sikkim, the pass offers a view of the Tibetan Plateau.
• The nearby Tso Lhamo Lake is the source of the Teesta River. 
• Gurudongmar Lake, that lies to the west-northwest, also feeds the Teesta.

Cho La

• Cho Laor Cho-la is a mountain pass in the Chola range of the Himalayas.
• It connects the Indian stateof Sikkim with China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
• It is situated around four miles to the north-west of Nathu La.
• Cho La used to be the main mountain pass between Sikkim and the Chumbi Valley(Yadong County), connecting the Sikkimese capital of Tumlong with the Chumbi
• Towards the end of the 19th century, the Britishdeveloped Jelep La, and later Nathu La, as they were accessible from British India, and Cho La fell into relative disuse.