Army Rescues All 1,321 Stranded Tourists And 84 Locals In North Sikkim After Landslides

(MENAFN- IANS) Gangtok, April 9 (IANS) The Indian Army has successfully evacuated all 1,321 stranded tourists and 84 local residents from North Sikkim on Thursday after landslides snapped road connectivity in the region, officials said.

Defence Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Mahendra Rawat said that 'Operation Him Setu', launched earlier to evacuate stranded tourists in the Lachen area of North Sikkim, has been completed successfully.

He noted that the evacuation of all stranded individuals was carried out in an incident-free, coordinated, and seamless manner within 48 hours, despite adverse weather conditions.

"A total of 1,321 tourists and 84 local residents were safely evacuated during 'Operation Him Setu'," the official said.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Rawat, connectivity in the affected area was restored through the construction of a footbridge, enabling safe and continuous evacuation across disrupted stretches following landslide damage on the Lachen-Chungthang road.

Reception centres were set up at key locations to provide food, shelter, and medical care, while medical teams remained deployed to assist those in need, he added.

Army vehicles also helped tow civilian vehicles across the difficult terrain.

Despite severe weather and heavy snowfall, troops opened critical mountain passes and activated alternate routes to facilitate the evacuation.

"The operation was executed in close coordination with the civil administration and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which simultaneously undertook road clearance, snow removal, and restoration of connectivity under extremely challenging terrain and weather conditions," the Defence Spokesman said.

The evacuation effort was led by the Trishakti Corps under the Eastern Command of the Indian Army, with troops maintaining continuous ground presence to ensure the safe and orderly movement of evacuees throughout the operation.

Another Army official said, "Troops ensured restoration of connectivity, including the construction of temporary bridges and safe crossing points, enabling uninterrupted evacuation despite adverse conditions."

The situation continues to be monitored closely.

A Sikkim government official also confirmed that multiple landslides have disrupted road connectivity between Lachen and Chungthang, with the affected area located close to the India-China border.

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