34 tourists, family members of army personnel airlifted from Sikkim's landslide hit Chaten
This was the first successful aerial evacuation carried out under the current emergency response plan in the state where inclement weather condition continues.
"Two MI-17 V5 helicopters successfully airlifted 34 stranded individuals from Chaten to Pakyong Greenfield Airport. Among those rescued were seven family members of Army personnel and 27 tourists. The injured personnel were also onboard and are currently receiving necessary medical treatment," an official said.
Three army personnel were killed and six soldiers went missing after a landslide hit a military camp at Chaten. Several others were also injured. The landslide, which occurred at 7 pm on Sunday near Lachen town in Mangan district, was triggered by heavy rainfall in the area.
Search and rescue operations to find out six missing army personnel are continuing on Tuesday as a team of 23 NDRF personnel, equipped with satellite phones and essential relief equipment, reached Chaten, officials added.
The NDRF has begun reconnaissance of alternate transhipment routes and is coordinating with the Indian Army for sustained support.
The Army's 112nd Brigade has established a vital foot route between Lachen and Chaten enabling the possibility of phased ground movement in areas currently inaccessible by road.
The state government has outlined a strategic evacuation plan whereby tourists from Lachen will be moved to Chaten via the foot route and subsequently airlifted, depending on weather conditions, officials said.
However, persistent inclement weather, including heavy rainfall in Chaten, prevented any further helicopter sorties.
Due to this, teams from the state administration, which were scheduled to be airlifted to Chaten during the day, will now be deployed on Wednesday to bolster relief operations on the ground.
Senior officials are monitoring the evolving situation, coordinating inter-agency operations and facilitating the rapid deployment of personnel, aid, and communication infrastructure to the impacted region.
Meanwhile, the state government has officially declared the situation a natural disaster, prompting an urgent and coordinated multi-agency response.
Chief Secretary R Telang is leading a team which is working in close coordination with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) and Indian Army to help stranded civilians and restore critical access to the affected areas of Chaten and Lachen in Mangan district.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
33 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Over 16 lakh people affected by floods in Bihar, rescue operations underway
Patna, More than 16 lakh people have been affected by floods in Bihar, where several rivers are in spate due to torrential rainfall in the past 24 hours, officials said on Monday. Over 16 lakh people affected by floods in Bihar, rescue operations underway A total of 32 teams of the NDRF and the SDRF have been engaged in rescue operations, they said. "Incessant rain in various districts, including Bhojpur, Patna, Bhagalpur, Vaishali, Lakhisarai, Saran, Munger, Khagaria and Begusarai caused rivers and streams to overflow... Besides, heavy rainfall in catchment areas of Nepal has also led to rivers flowing above the danger level at several places," an official said. 'Rains in the past few days have raised the water level of the Ganga, Kosi, Bagmati, Burhi Gandak, Punpun and Ghaghara rivers in the state. These are flowing above the danger mark at certain places in Bhojpur, Patna, Bhagalpur, Vaishali, Lakhisarai, Saran, Munger, Khagaria and Begusarai,' the Disaster Management Department said in a statement. More than 16 lakh people are currently affected by floods in the state. No deaths have been reported so far from any part of Bihar, it said. 'In view of the continuous rise in the water levels of several rivers in Bihar and heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of Nepal-based Gandak and Kosi rivers, all concerned wings of the Water Resources Department have been instructed to stay on alert mode,' Principal Secretary, WRD, Santosh Kumar Mall, told PTI. Directions have also been issued to districts concerned to remain fully prepared for setting up more relief camps and community kitchens if the situation aggravates further, he said. Altogether 3,83,340 people in 18 panchayats of Saran district were affected by the floods, 3,15,596 people in 36 panchayats of Begusarai, 2,37,765 people in 67 panchayats of Bhagalpur, 1,88,000 people in 30 panchayats of Bhojpur, 1,85,786 people in 24 panchayats of Patna, 1,67,200 people in 23 panchayats of Vaishali, 1,26,000 people in 28 panchayat of Munger, the statement said. Despite continuous rainfall, Bihar recorded 507.4 mm precipitation from August 1-10, which is 12 per cent less than the normal for this time of the year, it added. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
India Today
2 hours ago
- India Today
Nature's fury in numbers: A look at Uttarakhand's disaster record
On August 5, a flash flood tore through Dharali in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, leaving behind a trail of destruction - a wall of mud and debris swept away homes, hotels and roads. National and state disaster response forces, the Indian Army, and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police have been working for days, using helicopters, rope-ways and temporary bridges to clear roads and return life to like this are not new for India's 'Devbhumi' - the land of the Gods. According to data provided by the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority, in the last eight years, more than 25,000 disaster incidents were recorded in the state. The year 2018 was a landmark with 5,056 events recorded - July and August were the most affected months that year, with 1,398 and 1,716 incidents respectively. This year, as of August 10, over 679 disaster incidents have been reported. While disasters can strike all year round, monsoon months are particularly brutal. In July alone, 209 events were recorded. It's not even the middle of August, and so far, 61 disasters have been counts tell only part of the story. In the last eight years, 3,554 casualties have been reported due to natural disasters, while around 6,000 people have been injured. Again, 2018 was the year with the maximum casualties: 720 dead and 1,207 year, casualties reported have already reached 209 (491 injured) as of August 10. Districts like Tehri Garhwal (45) and Nainital (38) witnessed maximum casualties, while districts like Haridwar (2), Bageshwar (6), and Chamoli (9) witnessed significantly fewer deaths. No deaths were recorded in Almora, Uddham Singh Nagar and Rudraprayag rains, landslides, and flash floods have damaged or destroyed 476 houses this year alone. Bageshwar was the most affected district with 122 damaged or destroyed houses, followed by Pithoragarh (112).Uttarkashi is third on this chart with 107 partially or fully destroyed houses. Floods also wiped out essential public infrastructure, disrupting services vital for daily life. This year, two major roads, three power lines and 13 water support schemes were affected.- EndsTune InMust Watch
Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Indian Express
Mounting medical bills, nowhere to go: Braveheart cadets disabled in military training struggle in shadows
* He knew from childhood that he wanted to become an Army officer. Today, his speech is slurred, he needs help at every step. And yet, when Vickrant Raj sees a movie about the Army on TV, he perks up and wants to chip in, somehow. * Shubham Gupta once dreamt of piloting a fighter jet but now can't even hold a glass of water. * Kishan Kulakarni is fully dependent on his mother, a former school teacher, for his most basic needs; and, Harish Sinhmar has simply lost the will to live. All of them, once cadets training at the nation's top military institutes such as National Defence Academy (NDA) and Indian Military Academy (IMA) — selected after rigorous training and fired by dreams to defend the nation — are today bravehearts struggling in the shadows. They are among the around 500 officer cadets who have been medically discharged from these military institutes since 1985, due to varying degrees of disability incurred during training, and are now staring at mounting medical bills with an ex gratia monthly payment that's far short of what they need. At the NDA alone, sources told this newspaper, around 20 such cadets were medically discharged in just the past five years, between 2021 and July 2025. According to rules, these cadets are not entitled to the status of ex-servicemen (ESM), which would have made them eligible under the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) for free treatment at military facilities and empanelled hospitals, since their disabilities took place during training before they were commissioned as officers. And, unlike soldiers in this category who are entitled to ESM status, all that these officer cadets get now is an ex gratia payment of up to Rs 40,000 per month depending on extent of disability — an amount that falls far short of basic needs, they say, with medical expenses alone costing, on an average, nearly Rs 50,000 per month or more. Today, after years of waiting in vain for a helping hand, all their hopes are pinned on a renewed Government push to get them some relief but The Indian Express found that even this has been stuck in red tape for over a year (see adjoining report). 'Without ESM status, medical care takes place at private hospitals, including hiring physiotherapists, which leaves families with hefty medical bills. Should cadets like my son not get ESM status so that he can at least get treatment in military hospitals?' asks Suman Raj, the mother of 26-year-old Vickrant who gets an ex gratia of Rs 40,000 but is saddled with monthly medical bills totalling nearly Rs 1 lakh. 'A disability pension and ex-serviceman status can give me a life of dignity,' says Shubham. 'My life is over but this should not happen to any other young cadet,' says Harish. Then there's Bharati, the mother of Kishan, who has not been able to start physiotherapy for her son three years after his NDA discharge. 'We are not from a military family, we are teachers. We do not understand the processes linked to this ex gratia,' Bharati, a former school vice-principal, said. Vickrant, Shubham, Kishan and Harish are among the illustrative cases that The Indian Express focused on over the past month, interviewing former cadets and their families, and reviewing their medical records. It came across a string of severe disabilities, ranging from paralysis to brain damage, shattered dreams and lifelong scars. 'It is so painful for a mother' Vickrant Raj, 26 Home: Chandigarh NDA tenure: December 2016 to June 2020 Injury: Head injury, subdural haemorrhage (blood collection between brain and outer covering) Monthly ex gratia: Rs 40,000 Monthly medical bill: Rs 95,000 (approx) His story: Once labelled as a potential fifth-generation officer, Vickrant suffered a head injury that caused a brain haemorrhage, leading to coma for six months. Today, he needs assistance to walk and perform basic daily chores — and his speech is slurred. Records show Vickrant was ranked fourth in the NDA entrance examination. His mother Suman Raj said, 'From his childhood, people we knew used to say he had 'officer-like qualities' and was 'General material'.' According to Suman, Vickrant 'was doing well at NDA'. 'In 2018, he was hit on the head during a boxing bout. He got up but fainted later and was hospitalised for a week. Over a month later, he participated in Rovers Camp, an endurance test lasting 4-5 days. He also appeared for his term exams, in which he did fairly well,' Suman said. 'Inspired by his success, he participated in a football match in October that year despite advice to the contrary. Minutes into the match, the football struck his head at the same point where he was hit during the bout. He collapsed and underwent brain surgery but slipped into a coma. My 6-ft-tall son, who weighed 70 kg, became 35-40 kg in weeks,' Suman said. Suman, the daughter of an ex-IAF officer, says her son 'gave eight years to the military, from the time he joined Rashtriya Indian Military College as an 11-year-old to the time he was medically boarded out of NDA at 19'. 'Even today, when Vickrant hears a speech or sees a movie related to the military or national security, he wants to contribute. The other day, he saw NSA Ajit Doval speaking at IIT Chennai, and he asked how he can join R&AW… It is so painful for a mother,' she said. 'Trauma…no friends' Shubham Gupta, 33 Home: Bhatinda, Punjab NDA: June 2010 to June 2014 Injury: Cervical spinal injury, quadriplegia (paralysis of all four limbs and torso) Monthly ex gratia: Rs 40,000 Monthly medical bill: Rs 40,000 His story: Shubham, whose uncle was in the IAF, recalls being fascinated during childhood by the aircraft that flew high above his house. In June 2010, he joined the NDA to give wings to his dreams. But what happened two years later changed his life forever. 'In April 2012, when I was in my fourth term, I suffered a spinal cord injury while taking a deep dive in the pool. I barely survived but the impact fractured my neck, left me paralysed from neck down. I underwent eight surgeries and was on the ventilator for two months,' he said. Medical records show Shubham underwent treatment at Command Hospital and Military Hospital in Pune over the next few months. With no improvement, he was boarded out of NDA. 'My injury caused me tremendous physical and emotional trauma. I cannot even lift a glass by myself. I have to undergo daily physiotherapy sessions, with two attendants to help with basic daily tasks,' he said. Shubham's younger brother is a doctor in the Army, his father a retired soil conservation officer and his mother a retired school teacher. He spends time tracking the stock market and studying astrology. 'I don't have any friends from school near home. But my NDA coursemates come and see me whenever they are in town. Some of them are Majors in the Army today,' he said. '90% nerve damage' Kishan Kulakarni, 25 Home: Hubballi, Karnataka NDA tenure: January 2019 to April 2022 Injury: Cardiac arrest, HIE (caused by oxygen, blood deprivation in brain) Monthly ex gratia: Rs 40,000 Monthly medical bill: 40,000 (approx) His story: Kishan has been bedridden since July 2020, with his medical report showing more than 90% nerve damage in the brain. 'Doctors have said the nerves in his brain have degenerated due to lack of oxygen, and they may not regenerate again,' said Kishan's mother Bharati Joshi, a former school teacher and single mother who is taking care of him all by herself. 'Kishan does not ask for food so I ensure that he is fed at regular intervals and that his urine bag and diapers are changed. I have not yet kept an attendant or started Kishan's physiotherapy because we started getting the ex gratia amount only recently,' she said. Citing information received from authorities, Bharati said Kishan was serving milk to cadets during breakfast when he got disoriented and fainted. Medical records attribute his cardiac arrest to training. They show that he underwent treatment for two years at Military Hospital in Kirkee before he was medically boarded out of the academy in April 2022. 'The cardiac arrest left him 100 per cent disabled and bedridden. I recently took voluntary retirement to take care of Kishan. I have been struggling without any sleep at night. I am now planning to take Kishan to Pune for another diagnosis, a difficult task considering his current condition. We are also looking for an attendant,' Kishan's mother said. 'Turned to academics' Kartik Sharma, 27 Home: Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh NDA tenure: June 2015 to Nov 2021 Injury: Traumatic spinal cord injury with quadriplegia Monthly ex gratia: Rs 40,000 Monthly medical bill: Rs 40,000 His story: An alumnus of Sainik School Sujanpur Tira, Kartik was selected as an Air Force cadet and dreamt of becoming a fighter pilot. Today, he sits on an automatic wheelchair, his limbs so weak he can't propel a manual version, with an attendant to help with daily tasks. Kartik got injured in 2016 during an 'organised training activity' and underwent treatment at Command Hospital in Pune for about a month. 'But my condition started deteriorating after contracting pneumonia, and I was airlifted to R&R Hospital in Delhi in March 2016. I was boarded out in November 2021 from the Military Hospital in Khirkee after spending over five years on rehabilitation,' he said. Kartik refused to give up and channeled his love for sports. Records show that he participated in para table tennis twice at the national level. 'I also turned my attention to academics. I graduated in political science and am currently pursuing a masters in political science from IGNOU. I have also cleared the UGC NET and am preparing for the civil services examination,' he said. 'Nothing left in life' Harish Sinhmar, 40 Home: Rohtak, Haryana IMA tenure: June 2006 to December 2007 Injury: Severe head injury Monthly ex gratia: Rs 40,000 Monthly medical bill: Rs 70,000 His story: An alumnus of Sainik School, Kunjpura (Haryana), Harish suffered a head injury during boxing at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun, leading to surgery and coma for 42 days. 'It's been nearly two decades since I was discharged and I sleep for nearly 15 hours every day with nothing much to look forward to in life,' he said. Harish can walk around the house and even manages to visit the local grocery shop sometimes. 'But my mental health has taken a beating. There are times when I collapse. There are times when I get aggressive at people around me. I have also been taking medicines for seizures. I lack full motor control, and suffer from loss of memory and blurred vision,' he said. Harish is 'angry' over his fate. 'I don't have any friends from IMA… My coursemates are Colonels today… My parents take care of me but for how long? My father would ideally want me to die while he is still alive so that I am not left alone,' he said.
