Sikkim avalanche: ‘Search and rescue operation halted, none found trapped’
Search and Rescue operation was halted at 3:30pm at the avalanche site in Sikkim on Wednesday. No person was found or bodies recovered in the operation on this day.
The bodies of four victims were handed over to the next of kin on Wednesday, the bodies of three others will be sent to their respective states on Thursday.
An avalanche had struck at the 14th Mile on the Jawaharlal Nehru Road connecting Gangtok with Nathula Pass on the Indo-China border in Sikkim on Tuesday noon. The avalanche left seven people dead and several others injured.
“The search and rescue operations commenced at 8am by rescue teams of the Army, NDRF, ITBP, BRO, SDRF, State police and persons from Tiranga Mountain Rescue team to account for missing person if any due to the avalanche,” stated Tushar G Nikhare, District Collector, Gangtok.
He stated that no one was found trapped and the operation was halted at 3:30 pm. “Number of calls were received in the police helpline numbers for which the tourists have been traced,” added the District Collector.
An army release added: “Four teams of Trishakti Corps led by four officers were part of the rescue mission that resumed search operations on Wednesday morning. A medical column along with two medical officers were present. In addition, a team of ‘Tiranga Mountain Rescue (TMR)’ was deployed along with Trishakti Corps and were coordinating with all agencies for search and rescue.”
Indian Army has a MoU with TMR under which, persons qualified on avalanche rescue are deployed at avalanche risk prone areas for imparting training and assistance in avalanche rescue missions.
Lakshman Prashad Acharya, Governor, Sikkim visited the avalanche victims admitted at the STNM hospital in Gangtok on Wednesday. “15 persons were brought in at the STNM Hospital after the avalanche. 9 were discharged after first aid as they had minor injuries. 6 were admitted at the Hospital. There condition is stable. They do not have serious injuries. Post mortem was conducted on the 7 who had passed away” stated Dr. Chintamani Sharma, AMS (II) STNM hospital, Gangtok.
“As directed by IGP/CPHQ, permits will be issued for North Sikkim till Lachen/ Lachung and beyond that tourists were strictly not allowed to visit,” stated a notice. Permits for Nathula and Tsongmo Lake permits have also been stopped till further notice. “Time has come to educate people on environmental sensitivity, including tourism stakeholders of the Himalayan states,” stated Bhaskar Das, Member, Governing Council, Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF.)
