On Wednesday, approximately 550 tourists were trapped in various areas of north Sikkim for approximately eight hours due to landslides caused by repeated bouts of torrential rain and were later rescued by the Indian Army.
On Thursday, the majority of the visitors were transferred to Gangtok via trans-shipment vehicles.
Lt. Col Mahendra Rawat, a defense spokesman, said that tourists in approximately 150 vehicles were stranded until late Wednesday evening due to landslides and heavy rainfall between Chungthang and the major tourist destination of Lachung in north Sikkim.
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The route connecting Chungthang in the north to the tourist destination Lachung was closed around 7 a.m. on Wednesday due to landslides in multiple locations.
“A massive landslide occurred around 2km north of Chungthang, leaving around 150 vehicles carrying 550-odd tourists stranded at either end of the affected stretch,” a source said.
Despite a poor communication network and freezing temperatures, soldiers from the Lachung camp rushed into action at the request of civil administration to provide all-out assistance to stranded tourists and locals.
#InPics | Troops of the Striking Lion Division provided assistance to nearly 600 tourists stranded in landslides due to heavy rainfall in North Sikkim. pic.twitter.com/utj2jIDo15
— NDTV (@ndtv) October 14, 2022
According to Lt. Col Rawat, tourists began to feel uneasy as a result of the traffic jams and harsh weather conditions. The Army immediately provided water, food, and medical care to stranded tourists, including elderly and infants.
Some of the tourists, who were shivering due to the cold, were taken back to the nearest medical facility for further assistance.
The Border Road Organization also responded, but despite their best efforts, the route could not be reopened due to heavy landslides and unprecedented rainfall throughout the day on Wednesday.
According to the defence spokesman, by late evening, all tourists had been returned to the safety of their respective hotels in Lachung. The troops’ quick response prevented any mishaps and provided much-needed assistance to the tourists.
