At least 63 evacuated from landslide-hit north Sikkim by helicopters, 64 others await rescue
Altogether 63 stranded people, mostly tourists, were on Thursday (June 5, 2025) evacuated by helicopters from Chaten in north Sikkim, which was hit by a landslide earlier this week, officials said.
Sixty-four other tourists are still waiting at Chaten to be rescued by the army and local administration. The operation to rescue them was called off due to inclement weather and challenging terrains during the day, officials said.
Chaten is located near Lachen, a small town in Mangan district, which is used by travellers to reach Gurudangmar Lake which is a popular tourist destination.
Officials said that two MI-17 helicopters were used to evacuate 39 people from Chaten to Pakyong airport, officials said.
Four other people were evacuated in a Cheetah helicopter while an MI-17 chopper made a direct journey from Bagdogra in neighbouring West Bengal to Chaten, airlifting 20 passengers, they said.
Meanwhile, two MI-17 V5 helicopters are stationed at Pakyong airport for deployment in evacuation operation.
State government officials have also been in continuous coordination with the armed forces to safeguard lives and provide relief to the stranded people.
Three army personnel were killed, six soldiers went missing and several others were injured after a landslide hit a military camp at Chaten on the evening of June 1. Efforts are also on to find out the missing soldiers.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
United News of India
19 hours ago
- United News of India
Braving harsh weather, forces airlift 17 tourists from north Sikkim
Gangtok, June 6 (UNI) Braving the prevailing adverse weather conditions, the Indian armed forces on Friday safely airlifted 17 stranded tourists from north Sikkim's last village Chaten, to the Pakyong greenfield airport, some 30 km east of Gangtok, official sources said. The MI-02 helicopter successfully carried out the first evacuation of the day, airlifting 17 tourists, both men and children, who were stuck at Chaten since May 29 when massive landslides followed by cloudbursts and torrents cut off the last village, about 130 km north of Pakyong. "The same helicopter has been deployed again to evacuate the remaining stranded persons," a government communique said. "Evacuation operations will continue depending on weather conditions and logistical arrangements," the communique added. On Thursday, two helicopters were pressed into service, while one successfully brought the stranded travellers, the other had to return to Chaten with the tourists on board. To ensure smooth onwards travel to Gangtok, the SNT (Sikkim Nationalised Transport) buses have been stationed at the airport for the evacuees' convenience. A medical team from the health and family welfare department, Pakyong, was at hand at the airport to carry out preliminary health screenings for the arriving evacuees. With the 17 evacuations of the day, the armed forces have airlifted 80 stranded tourists, two of them American citizens, since the aerial rescue operation began on June 3 after foot bridges were washed away, creating piles of rubble and huge boulders. The government officials said around 50 more travellers were stranded and awaiting airlifting. The travellers are from almost all the states of the country, according to the list of stranded tourists. UNI PC ARN PRS
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
Sikkim lanslide: 63 stranded tourists airlifted in 2 batches, 15 still missing
In a concerted effort to ensure the safety of tourists amidst challenging weather conditions, the government of Sikkim successfully airlifted 63 stranded tourists from Chaten to Pakyong Greenfield Airport on Thursday, officials said. Landslides and flash floods caused by heavy rain since May 29 have left thousands of tourists stranded. According to officials more than 1,800 tourists have been rescued from Sikkim till now and two batches were evacuated on Thursday. According to a statement by the Ministry of Defence, the relief operations in Sikkim continued with the IAF employing four MI-17 and two Cheetah helicopters into service, through which they were able to reach the isolated and severely affected areas of Chaten. The helicopters also delivered 6,000 kg of relief material in 22 sorties, providing critical aid to stranded civilians, service personnel, and foreigners in the landslide-affected area. Chaten is located near Lachen, a small town in Mangan district, which is used by travellers to reach Gurudongmar Lake, which is a popular tourist destination. Sonam Detchu Bhutia, Superintendent of Police (SP), Mangan district, in North Sikkim while speaking with The Indian Express, 'Rescue operations are ongoing and 63 tourists are still stranded in Sikkim. The total number of missing persons stands at 15, comprising six army personnel and nine civilians.' SP Bhutia said that efforts to locate the six missing army personnel after the landslide at the military camp have been unsuccessful. 'Those who are missing post that incident are feared to have gotten buried in the debris, which was flown away by the river, hence it has not been possible to rescue them,' he said. Officials said the initial evacuation on Thursday saw two MI-17 helicopters transport 39 evacuees and a Cheetah helicopter transport four others from Chaten to Pakyong, after which 20 more tourists, including foreign nationals, were carried in the second phase to the Pakyong Greenfield Airport. For the first phase, following their arrival at Pakyong, the state government arranged Sikkim Nationalised Transport (SNT) buses to facilitate their onward commute to Siliguri. An MI-17 helicopter was also placed on standby for tourists preferring air transit to Bagdogra. For the second batch, SNT buses have been arranged for a commute to Gangtok, while a separate MI-17 helicopter sortie was organised for those opting to travel to Bagdogra. 'The state government continues to prioritise the safety and comfort of tourists during these unprecedented weather conditions,' read a statement issued by the Government of Sikkim. According to a senior Sikkim police official, the roads are clear up to Mangan, but the Mangan-Chungthang stretch is in poor condition, and authorities have advised against travel on the route. Additionally, Lachen remains cut off from the rest of the district, hindering rescue and relief operations. Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
At least 63 evacuated from landslide-hit north Sikkim by helicopters, 64 others await rescue
Altogether 63 stranded people, mostly tourists, were on Thursday (June 5, 2025) evacuated by helicopters from Chaten in north Sikkim, which was hit by a landslide earlier this week, officials said. Sixty-four other tourists are still waiting at Chaten to be rescued by the army and local administration. The operation to rescue them was called off due to inclement weather and challenging terrains during the day, officials said. Chaten is located near Lachen, a small town in Mangan district, which is used by travellers to reach Gurudangmar Lake which is a popular tourist destination. Officials said that two MI-17 helicopters were used to evacuate 39 people from Chaten to Pakyong airport, officials said. Four other people were evacuated in a Cheetah helicopter while an MI-17 chopper made a direct journey from Bagdogra in neighbouring West Bengal to Chaten, airlifting 20 passengers, they said. Meanwhile, two MI-17 V5 helicopters are stationed at Pakyong airport for deployment in evacuation operation. State government officials have also been in continuous coordination with the armed forces to safeguard lives and provide relief to the stranded people. Three army personnel were killed, six soldiers went missing and several others were injured after a landslide hit a military camp at Chaten on the evening of June 1. Efforts are also on to find out the missing soldiers.
