About 2,000 tourists stranded in north Sikkim’s Lachung and Chungthang due to heavy rainfall-triggered landslides and floods will be evacuated by Sunday, according to a senior official. The inclement weather has caused extensive damage in Mangan district, claiming six lives and disrupting road connectivity, power, food, and mobile networks. Of the stranded tourists, approximately 1,200 are domestic, with others hailing from Bangladesh, Nepal, and Thailand.
Sikkim’s chief secretary, Vijay Bhushan Pathak, stated, “There is no major destruction in Lachung, Lachen, and Chungthang. We have sent a requisition for the air force and helicopter. Once the weather improves, we will evacuate the tourists.” The state’s principal secretary of tourism and civil aviation, C S Rao, assured that the stranded tourists, including foreigners, were safe with access to food and water. If required, they will be evacuated by road.
Mangan District Magistrate Hem Kumar Chettri expressed hope that the tourists would be evacuated by Sunday, contingent on weather conditions. A relief camp has been set up at Pakshep, and while electricity has been restored, mobile networks remain down. The Met office has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, and northeast India over the next 4-5 days.
Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang chaired a high-level meeting to assess the situation, urging stranded tourists to remain in their current locations and avoid unnecessary risks. Landslides have blocked roads, houses have been inundated or damaged, and electricity poles swept away due to the heavy rain. The chief minister’s meeting was aimed at strategizing and coordinating the response to restore normalcy and ensure the safety of residents.