1,321 Tourists and 84 Locals Rescued from Landslide-Hit Lachen; Special Convoys Reach Gangtok

GANGTOK: In a massive coordinated effort between the Indian Army, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and local authorities, a total of 1,321 stranded tourists and 84 local residents were safely evacuated from the landslide-hit Lachen region in North Sikkim. The rescue operation, which concluded late Thursday evening, followed a series of devastating landslides triggered by torrential rains that had completely severed road connectivity to the Mangan district earlier this week.

The evacuation was a complex multi-stage process necessitated by the destruction of key road stretches. Stranded travelers were first moved from the high-altitude Thangu area to Chungthang. To facilitate their onward journey to the state capital, Gangtok, the state administration organized a special fleet of buses and private tourist vehicles.

Local officials confirmed that the stranded individuals included elderly travelers and children, all of whom were provided with emergency medical check-ups and refreshments at transit camps set up by the Indian Army. The “Himalayan hospitality” was on full display as local villagers also stepped in to provide temporary shelter and food before the official rescue convoys could reach the affected zones.

Following the successful completion of the rescue mission in the Thangu-Lachen sector, Sikkim’s Social Welfare Minister and local MLA, Samdup Lepcha, visited the site to oversee the final clearances. Minister Lepcha engaged in detailed discussions with high-ranking officials from the Indian Army and the BRO, expressing the state government’s profound gratitude for their relentless efforts in hostile weather conditions.

“The bravery shown by our armed forces and the BRO engineers in restoring temporary footbridges and clearing debris while the rain was still lashing down is commendable. Their quick action ensured that a potential humanitarian crisis was averted,” Minister Lepcha stated during the briefing.

While the tourists have been moved to safety, road connectivity to North Sikkim remains precarious. The BRO has deployed heavy machinery, including bulldozers and excavators, to restore the main highway connecting Mangan to the border areas. However, officials have advised travelers to defer non-essential trips to the high-altitude regions of Lachen and Lachung for the next 48 to 72 hours, as the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts continued intermittent rainfall.

The Sikkim Tourism Department has also set up a 24/7 helpline in Gangtok to assist families of tourists and to provide real-time updates on road conditions. This incident highlights the recurring challenges faced by the Himalayan state during the pre-monsoon season, where fragile mountain slopes often succumb to the region’s intense precipitation patterns.