On the 15th of June, Thursday, torrential rains in the northern parts of the Indian state of Sikkim led to severe landslides and flash floods. Since the site is a popular tourist destination, this led to a lot of tourists being trapped there. The Indian Army assisted many people in getting out of the harsh weather conditions that have plagued the regions of Chungthang, Lachung, as well as Lachen. So far, around 3,800 people have been rescued.
Sikkim Landslides: Indian Army Rescues 3,800 Tourists
Troops of #TrishaktiCorps continued assistance to stranded tourists at Chungthang, North #Sikkim. On second day of the rescue effort, assistance provided to 300 stranded tourists who came down from Lachung & Lachen. Assistance to cross over the temporary bridge, food, place to… pic.twitter.com/jfXVmOmmkB
— Trishakticorps_IA (@trishakticorps) June 18, 2023
Owing to bad weather conditions, many parts of Sikkim were flooded. The National Highway 10 was also damaged in multiple places. This led to tourists being trapped. Since Saturday, the Indian Army has been assisting these tourists in getting out.
The faction known as the ‘Striking Lion Division’ of the Trishakti Corps from the Indian Army is rescuing civilians from these harsh weather conditions. According to an article published by The Indian Express recently, the Indian army assisted the Sikkim government in rescuing around 3,500 tourists.
Their efforts persisted and on Sunday, they were successful in rescuing another 300 tourists. According to reports, the army received the news that around 300 tourists were trapped in Lachen and Lachung and were trying to get to safety. The Indian Army built a temporary bridge and helped all 300 of them to cross to safety.
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Overflow Of Rivers Engulf The Highway
Rescue efforts continue. Over 300 tourists rescued by Indian army in Chungthang. Army assisted civilians to help them cross a temporary bridge for further move towards Gangtok. pic.twitter.com/JgCzooeA0P
— Nitesh R Pradhan (@NiteshRPradhan) June 18, 2023
The major reason why many tourists ended up being trapped in Sikkim is that National Highway 10 was damaged. The heavy rain in the region led to swollen rivers which engulfed the and rendered it unsafe to use.
On Sunday, Hem Kumar Chettri, the North Sikkim district collector stated that before allowing the resumption of tourists back in the region, their highest priority is to restore the roadways and highways that have been damaged by the floods and rain. As of now, the tourists are being asked to avoid the region, for obvious reasons.
We hope that the people stuck there get out of the situation as safely and soundly as they can.
Cover Image Credits: @TrishaktiCorps/Twitter