Darjeeling: All tourists stuck in Lachen in North Sikkim were successfully evacuated on Thursday following an intensive, multi-agency rescue operation carried out under challenging weather and terrain conditions.
The evacuation was completed through a coordinated effort involving the district administration, the Indian Army, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), the local Lachen Dzumsa and tourism stakeholders. Minister-cum-Area MLA Samdup Lepcha personally monitored the crucial transhipment process at Tarum Chu, where a temporary footbridge had been set up after a landslide severed road connectivity between Lachen and Chungthang.
“Special arrangements of buses and tourist vehicles were made to ferry evacuees from Tarum Chu to Chungthang and further onwards to Gangtok,” stated Lepcha. Senior officials, including the District Collector and Superintendent of Police of Mangan, supervised the safe movement at the transhipment point, while additional administrative teams coordinated travel logistics at Chungthang.
The successful evacuation comes a day after the Indian Army’s Trishakti Corps, under Eastern Command, launched Operation ‘Him Setu’ to rescue stranded tourists following landslides and heavy snowfall in the region. Army troops, working in tandem with the BRO, undertook continuous road clearance, opened critical passes, and activated alternate routes despite severe weather conditions. Army vehicles were used to tow civilian vehicles across steep and snowbound stretches. Priority was given to medical emergencies and citizens requiring prompt evacuation. A special footbridge was established across the affected stretch, connecting the road with the Tarum Chu Bridge.
On Wednesday, 135 tourists had been safely evacuated along with 32 light vehicles and 10 motorcycles. Around 1,000 tourists remained in Lachen. They were evacuated on Thursday, thereby successfully completing Operation Him Setu.
According to defence sources, the evacuation was carried out in phases, with army vehicles deployed to tow stranded civilian vehicles across snowbound stretches. Medical assistance was also provided to those in need, ensuring prompt evacuation in emergencies.
Addressing officials and personnel after the operation, Minister Lepcha lauded the “teamwork and community spirit” that enabled the mission’s success despite adverse conditions. He also thanked the Indian Army and the BRO for their relentless efforts and interacted with tourists, wishing them a safe onward journey.
An Army official reiterated that the safety and well-being of civilians remained the top priority, adding that forces would continue to monitor the situation closely.