All six dead were tourists and at least 70 people were feared trapped in the snow, rescue officials said on Tuesday.
The incident took place on the outskirts of the capital of the Himalayan state on the road to Changu Lake, police official Tenzing Loden said.
The avalanche occurred along the Nathu La pass, the Press Trust of India news agency reported. Survivors were pulled from the snow and taken to the hospital for treatment.
Nathu La mountain pass is along the border with China and is a major tourist destination.
The ecologically sensitive Himalayan region, which has been severely affected by global warming, is prone to avalanches. Last year 27 trainee mountaineers were killed in an avalanche in the northern Uttarakhand region.
Thousands of tourists every year flock to Sikkim, also known as the “Land of Mystic Splendour”, located below Mount Khangchendzonga – the third-highest mountain in the world.
MNA/PR
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