Rescue operations in Sikkim end with evacuation of remaining 158 stranded tourists

Gangtok: The rescue operations in North Sikkim ended on Wednesday with the evacuation of the remaining 158 stranded tourists, a senior official said.

Mangan District Magistrate Hem Kumar Chettri said that all the 1,447 stranded tourists have been evacuated in the last three days. A total of 1,225 tourists were rescued on Tuesday and 64 on Monday.

“With the rescue of 158 tourists on the third and final day of the operation, we have evacuated all the 1,447 stranded tourists,” he said.

Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang said that the 1,447 tourists have been sent back to their respective destinations.

“The incessant rainfall from June 12-14, 2024, caused by a cloudburst in North Sikkim, had left a total of 1,447 tourists stranded in Mangan district… All of them have now been successfully evacuated and sent back to their respective destinations through extensive rescue operations,” he said.

The CM thanked all those who were involved in the rescue operation and to the tourists for their patience during the challenging time.

Chettri said the tourists, who were holed up in Lachung for several days, were evacuated to Mangan town via Chungthang.

Most of the tourists were transported to state capital Gangtok in vehicles provided by the transport department, Chettri said.

Besides the district administration and police, BRO, NDRF, SDRF, Travel Agents’ Association of Sikkim (TAAS), local panchayats and volunteers were involved in the rescue operation.

Mangan district is known for popular tourist spots like Gurudongmar Lake and Yumthang Valley.

At least six people have been killed in Sikkim due to landslides triggered by heavy rain over the last few days. The natural calamity has also damaged properties and disrupted power and food supplies and mobile networks in several areas, officials said.

Around 1,500 tourists, including some foreigners, were stranded in Lachung town due to the landslides.

The road network in Mangan district has become severely damaged, with the district magistrate ordering the closure of schools in 10 clusters of Mangan and Dzongu blocks till further orders.

The Border Roads Organisation has been working to clear the roads and restore connectivity.