All stranded tourists evacuated from North Sikkim

Darjeeling: All stranded tourists have been safely evacuated from Chaten, one of the regions worst affected by recent landslides in North Sikkim. The successful completion of the evacuation mission was officially confirmed on Friday by Anant Jain, District Collector, Mangan.

The final leg of the operation saw Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters airlift the last batch of 63 tourists on Friday as weather conditions improved. The multi-agency effort included the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and local administration, working in close coordination to ensure the safety of all stranded individuals.

Earlier in the week, over 1,600 tourists were rescued by road from the Lachung and Lachen valleys.

While the evacuation of civilians has been declared complete, search and rescue operations continue in the aftermath of the deadly landslide that hit Chaten on June 1 night that left 3 army personnel dead, many injured and 6 missing. Rescue teams are navigating landslide-prone areas and battling intermittent rain to locate the missing.

Restoration of road infrastructure is underway, with BRO teams focusing on critical stretches. Authorities have imposed restrictions on civilian movement beyond Chungthang, citing safety concerns. Major Road Collapse on Chungthang–Sankalang Route: Traffic Halted Between Safoo and

A massive portion of the Chungthang–Sankalang road has caved in between Safoo and Shipgyer, completely cutting off vehicular movement in the region. The collapse, likely triggered by incessant rainfall over the past few days. This comes as a major problem in the vital road connecting key parts of North Sikkim. Restoration work is expected to be delayed due to the unstable soil condition and ongoing rain in the area.

Meanwhile one Shravanti Dutta Roy who was visiting Sikkim along with her husband Sushital Roy, from Kolkata, died in western Sikkim. She had lost consciousness in the High-Water Garden premises near Dentum while traveling from Pelling to Kaluk on Thursday afternoon. Although she was taken to Dentum Primary Health Centre for treatment, the woman’s life could not be saved.