Sikkim: Indian Army rescues all 550 tourists stranded due to landslides in state

Indian Army on October 13 provided assistance and rescued all 550 tourists who were stranded due to landslides following heavy rains in north Sikkim.

''Army camp at Lachung immediately got into action on the request of the civil administration to provide all-out assistance to tourists and locals stranded in heavy rainfall and inclement weather conditions with freezing temperature,'' an official statement from the Army said.

As per the statement, some of the critical tourists, shivering due to the cold was brought back to the nearest Medical facility for further assistance.  

Border Road Organisation (BRO) also got into action but the route was not opened in spite of best efforts due to heavy landslides and unprecedented rainfall throughout the day.   

''The Army provided immediate relief to stranded tourists in terms of water, food, and medical care to elderly persons and infants,'' the statement added.

Army also assisted the Sikkim Police in regulating the heavy traffic of more than 150 vehicles and by 6 PM, all tourists were brought back to the safety of their respective hotels, in Lachung without further delay.

''Thus, a quick reaction by the troops avoided mishap and provided much-appreciated succor to the tourists,'' it added. 

On October 12 at around 7:00 AM, the route from Chungthang to the major tourist destination of Lachung, North Sikkim was blocked due to landslides at multiple locations.  

A massive landslide occurred due to which approximately 150 vehicles with 550 tourists got stuck on both sides of the landslide due to this the traffic kept on increasing till 10 AM due to lack of communication as mobile connectivity was also disturbed due to heavy rainfall.