Sikkim landslides: 9 killed, over 1,200 tourists rescued; schools shut

As the rescue operations continued for the second day in Sikkim on Tuesday, the state government evacuated 1,225 tourists from Lachung and nearby areas in the Mangan district. These areas were struck by landslides and heavy rain last week, resulting in the deaths of several people, an official told news agency PTI.

Lama said, “We have evacuated a total of 1,225 tourists from Lachung and surrounding regions and brought them to Mangan town by road today.”

On Monday, the administration rescued 64 tourists and brought them safely to Mangan, the district headquarters.

Here are the latest updates:

The remaining tourists, estimated to be a few hundred, will be evacuated on Wednesday if the weather allows.

Six helicopters are ready at Bagdogra airport in West Bengal for this operation, Additional District Magistrate Vishnu Lama said to PTI.

Soldiers from the Trishakti Corps of the Indian Army, along with the local government authorities, rescued stranded tourists in North Sikkim on Wednesday, the army reported.

Due to the landslides, tourists are being relocated by walking or using vehicles wherever roads are still accessible. “Working under challenging weather and terrain conditions, the signalers of the Indian Army helped BSNL and Airtel restore mobile connectivity on June 18, 2024. Since June 12, the Indian Army installed more than half a dozen telephone booths to facilitate locals and tourists connecting with their relatives,” an Army statement quoted by ANI as saying,

DistrictMMagistrate Hem Kumar Chettri is personally overseeing the evacuation of the stranded tourists. The Superintendent of Police (SP) Sonam Detchu Bhutia, along with other senior civil and police officials, as well as personnel from BRO, NDRF, SDRF, local panchayats, and volunteers, are all working together to rescue the stranded tourists, as per PTI.

The Mangan district administration closed all government schools on Tuesday because of student safety concerns. This decision was made due to property damage and blocked roads across various clusters in the district. Chettri ordered that government schools in Manul, Singhik, Mangan, Mangshilla, Lingdong, Hee Gyathang, Passingdong, Lingzya, Tingvong and Gor clusters remain closed until further notice.

The roads were washed out in several areas. Officials said the stranded tourists would need to walk to three to four spots and then board vehicles to reach the district headquarters at Mangan.

Since June 13, landslides in North and South Sikkim have killed at least nine people. The landslides damaged several houses, disrupted power and communication lines, and washed away roads and bridges along with the rising River Teesta.

The rescued individuals travelled from Mangan, a popular tourist destination, to Gangtok using vehicles provided by the Transport Department’s Motor Vehicle Division. According to the ADM, they then continued their journey to their destinations.