Pakyong (Sikkim) [India], June 6 (ANI): As part of the ongoing evacuation efforts in response to the recent disaster in North Sikkim, the first helicopter sortie of the day took off early this morning from Pakyong Greenfield Airport towards Chaten to rescue stranded tourists, according to an official statement.
The Mi-17 helicopters are carrying essential supplies for Army personnel stationed in and around the Chaten area.
The operation is being carried out to ensure timely support to both stranded civilians and defence personnel.
On their return trip, the helicopters will evacuate individuals who are stranded in Chaten.
Evacuation and relief work will continue depending on weather conditions and operational feasibility.
According to the official statement on Thursday, the aircraft comprises nine personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), along with their equipment, to provide support for ongoing disaster relief.
Likewise, a team from the Power Department, Government of Sikkim, and Airtel’s telecommunication services is also being airlifted.
They are on a mission to restore essential services, including telecommunications and electricity, using satellite-based technologies and portable backup batteries in areas rendered inaccessible by road.
As per the official statement on Thursday, a team of police personnel from the communication branch with essential equipment are also proceeding towards the affected areas to bridge the gap between isolation and service and restore normalcy in the lives of those affected.
Due to the persistent bad weather in the region, helicopter sorties from Pakyong Greenfield Airport were temporarily suspended, which delayed further evacuations. However, as the weather conditions improved, a mission was carried out with the deployment of two helicopters to assist in evacuating tourists stranded in Lachen.
Several days of heavy rainfall have triggered landslides, mudslides, flash floods, and rockfalls in many parts of the state.
Lachen village, the region’s leading tourism hub, has been completely cut off. On June 4, the Army established foot connectivity to the village and reached out to 113 stranded tourists, who will be evacuated soon.
On June 3, nearly 30 tourists, including some foreign nationals, were successfully airlifted by military helicopters. Meanwhile, six individuals are still missing after the landslide struck a military camp in the Chatten area of North Sikkim.
A rescuer from the army, who remains deployed at the spot of the landslide in Chatten that occurred on June 1, said that nine personnel have died in the incident. He added that the area had witnessed incessant rainfall from May 30, leading to a massive landslide.
The missing include Lieutenant Colonel Pritpal Singh Sandhu, Subedar Dharamveer, Naik Sunilal Muchahary, Sepoy Sainudheen PK, Squadron Leader Aarti Sandhu (Retd), wife of Lieutenant Colonel Sandhu, and their daughter Amayra Sandhu.
Meanwhile, a landslide occurred late Thursday night near the Army Hospital at Theng in North Sikkim, damaging a vehicle in the incident.
However, no casualties have been reported.
Speaking about the situation, Additional Chief Secretary of Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, CS Rao, said, “There was an apprehension among tourists and travel agents about the present situation in the Chungthang subdivision of the North Sikkim district, which is totally cut off. We are not issuing permits for tourists to visit Lachen and Lachung. But beyond that, there are more than 200 tourist destinations in Sikkim… There has been no change in our state’s tourist flow…”
He further added, “This morning, we evacuated 65 tourists from Lachung… Another 63 tourists are stranded in Lachung. We will evacuate them tomorrow morning. By tomorrow afternoon, we will complete the total evacuation process from Lachung…” (ANI)
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