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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.

PRELIMS PRACTICE QUESTION Q. Match the following.        Mountain Pass                                                Place a) Nathu La                                                    i) Between Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan. b) Debsa Pass                                               ii) Connects Sikkim and Tibet. c) Bom Di La                                                 iii) Connects Sikkim and Bhutan d) Jelep                                                         iv) Link between Kullu and Spiti Districts   I. a-ii, b-iii, c-i, d-iv II. a-iv, b-iii, c-i, d-iv III. a-iv, b-iii, c-iv, d-i IV. a-ii, b-iv, c-i, d-iii Answer: Option IV