Sikkim Floods rescue operation: 6 soldiers still missing, Over 1600 tourists evacuated

Heavy rains have wreaked havoc in North Sikkim. Landslides have affected many regions of Sikkim following rain. 1,678 tourists had been stranded at Lachung and Chungthang; they have been safely evacuated through conducting rescue operations.

There was a landslide yesterday at the army camp at Chhaten in the Mangan district, where 3 soldiers lost their lives and 6 have gone missing. However, there are still over 100 people who are stuck at Lachung. 

In view of this, Director General of Police (DGP) Akshay Sachdeva confirmed that there were some tourists evacuated from there and transported to Gangtok, and attempts are being made to evacuate the trapped people at Lachen. There has been a landslide in the Mangan district following heavy rains. The roads have been blocked.

The names of the three soldiers who died in Chhaten are Lakhwinder Singh, Lance Naik Munish Thakur, and Porter Abhishek Lakhda. At the same time, the army has started relief and rescue operations. The search for 6 missing soldiers is on.

The BRO has started the work of restoring the road network. So that the movement of vehicles can resume. At the same time, an officer said that a convoy of vehicles brought the tourists to Phandag. There were more than 7 men, 561 women, and 380 children in this convoy.

It has been raining continuously in the Northeast states for the last 4 days. It is being reported that more than 130 mm of rain fell in these areas. Due to this, major tourist places like Lachung, Gurudongmar, Land of Achen Valley of Flowers have been deeply affected. The Teesta River is also filled with a lot of water.

Due to the disaster, cracks have also appeared in many places. It is being said that two bridges were also destroyed in Lachen, important routes leading to Lachen and Lachung were completely cut off. Indian Army, NDRF, and police teams are engaged in relief and rescue work. Relief work is being difficult due to bad weather and inaccessible areas.