Sikkim landslides: IAF airlifts 33, including 2 US nationals, from remote Chaten region

Amid relentless rainfall and massive landslides in North Sikkim, the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out urgent air rescue operations on Wednesday, evacuating 33 stranded individuals — including two US nationals — from the isolated Chaten region.

"Indian Air Force Mi-17 helicopters rapidly launched Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Ops — dropping relief supplies, inserting NDRF teams, and evacuating 33 stranded individuals, including two US nationals, from the remote Chaten region," the IAF said in an official statement.

Earlier in the day, a rescue attempt to evacuate 113 tourists stranded in Lachen had to be aborted due to poor visibility. An Mi-17 helicopter with nine National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel took off from Pakyong Airport at 6 am but returned mid-air after weather conditions deteriorated over Mangan and Chaten.

The tourists, now stranded for more than 24 hours, remain cut off after multiple landslides blocked key access roads. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for North Sikkim, forecasting continued heavy rainfall over the next 72 hours.

Despite the weather setbacks, Indian Army personnel have reached Lachen on foot, traversing treacherous paths and high-risk terrain to establish contact with the stranded group.

“In the wake of a devastating landslide in North Sikkim, the #IndianArmy is leading relentless search and rescue operations under extreme weather and hazardous terrain. Lachen village, completely cut off, has been reached on foot, with 113 stranded tourists located — 30 of them, including foreign nationals, airlifted on 3 June,” the Ministry of Defence (MoD) posted on X.

Search operations are also underway for six people who remain missing in the region. The Army has deployed specialised units with advanced equipment in unstable, high-altitude zones.

“Search efforts continue for six missing individuals. Despite unstable ground and high-altitude challenges, specialised teams and equipment are on the ground. The Army stands resolute: every life matters, and every effort continues,” the MoD said.

Meanwhile, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is working across Sikkim and neighbouring regions to restore critical connectivity. The BRO has been clearing landslide debris, reopening roads, and responding to communication blackouts triggered by the downpour.

“Incessant rains across Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Eastern Bhutan have triggered landslides, road blockages, and communication blackouts. BRO India has responded with unmatched urgency… restoring access in Sikkim… and swiftly reopening the Darranga-Trashigang Highway in Bhutan after a massive landslide on 30 May,” the MoD said in another update.

The Government of Mizoram has also issued advisories asking officials and dignitaries to delay any travel plans due to the ongoing extreme weather. Landslides, flash floods, and rockfalls have been reported across several districts, prompting heightened disaster response protocols throughout the northeast.