Seventy-six Indian Army personnel stranded at Chaten in north Sikkim were airlifted to safety on Saturday, marking the culmination of a coordinated evacuation effort following days of landslides triggered by incessant rainfall.
Road connectivity to the region had been completely severed due to multiple landslips, necessitating an extensive rescue operation by air.
“Altogether 76 army personnel were airlifted by three MI-17 helicopters. The air evacuation operation from Chaten has concluded today with the helicopters transporting army personnel from Chaten to Pakyong Greenfield Airport,” said an official overseeing the operations.
Authorities stated that this airlift concluded the broader evacuation mission that had earlier seen over 1,600 stranded tourists rescued from Lachen, Lachung and Chungthang.
The state government has reiterated its commitment to providing continued support in the disaster-affected zone. “The state government continues to closely monitor the overall situation and remains committed to providing all necessary support in the disaster-hit region and assistance to those affected by natural calamities,” another official said.
Also read: Soldier killed in Sikkim cremated with full military honours
Meanwhile, an MI-17 helicopter carrying 1,300 kg of relief materials for both army personnel and civilians departed from Pakyong airport on Saturday morning for the landslide-affected Chaten region in north Sikkim, officials said.
On board were five officials from the Food and Civil Supplies Department, tasked with delivering the aid consignment. The helicopter is scheduled to return with some army personnel stranded in the area, they added.
Earlier, several helicopters had been deployed to airlift over 140 tourists from Chaten, where multiple landslides—triggered by persistent heavy rainfall—had severely disrupted road connectivity across north Sikkim.
Heavy monsoon showers had lashed the region in recent days, setting off a series of landslides that left both civilians and soldiers stranded across northern parts of the Himalayan state.
The evacuation effort was a multi-agency operation, involving the Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and the Mangan district administration.
Helicopters were deployed to airlift more than 140 tourists over several sorties, officials confirmed.
The calamity also claimed the lives of three army personnel, with four injured and six still reported missing after a landslide struck a military camp at Chaten on the evening of 1 June. Efforts are underway to locate the missing soldiers.
Follow us
