15 tourists evacuated after landslide in northeastern India
by Aditi VermaFifteen tourists have been evacuated so far on the second day of rescue operations in a landslide in northeastern India’s Sikkim.
The incident took place at Lachung and Mangan district on June 18.
Visuals showed the mountainous terrain posed a significant challenge, but temporary paths were constructed to rescue the stranded tourists and bring them to safety. Once all the tourists reached the secure location, they expressed immense gratitude to the BRO team. They shared how they had been stranded for several days, taking refuge in a gurudwara where they received all necessary supplies. Relieved and thankful, they conveyed their appreciation and mentioned that they were now heading back to their respective homes.
According to reports more than 200 tourists have been successfully evacuated from Lachung in Sikkim’s landslide-affected Mangan district, while around 1,000 remain stranded, according to a senior police officer.
The evacuation efforts, coordinated by district administrative officials along with the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and local volunteers, have been ongoing for two days.
Tourists were transported via Chungthang to Mangan town, where the Transport department arranged vehicles to take them to Gangtok, reported Superintendent of Police Sonam Detchu Bhutia. On Tuesday, 150 tourists were evacuated, following 64 evacuations on Monday.
Efforts are continuing to evacuate more tourists, with 15 more evacuated early on Tuesday. The heavy rainfall on the night of June 12-13 caused significant damage to property and road blockages in the region, prompting the Mangan district administration to order the immediate closure of all government schools in the district. District Magistrate Hem Kumar Chettri stated that the closure is necessary due to safety concerns for students.
The affected schools are in Manul, Singhik, Mangan, Mangshilla clusters of Mangan block, and Lingdong, Hee Gyathang, Passingdong, Lingzya, Tingvong, and Gor clusters of Dzongu block, and will remain closed until further notice.