1,678 tourists evacuated from Sikkim's Lachung, Chungthang, over 100 still stranded in Lachen: DGP

Gangtok: Altogether 1,678 tourists, stuck in north Sikkim's Lachung and Chungthang towns following rain-triggered landslides there, were evacuated on Monday, and more than 100 others are still stranded in Lachen, DGP Akshay Sachdeva said.

The evacuation of stranded tourists began after the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) restored road connectivity to Lachung in Mangan district.

Sachdeva said that 1,678 tourists stranded in Lachung and Chungthang towns for several days left for Gangtok via Phidang near Dzongu town by 284 vehicles and 16 motorcycles.

The director general of police, who personally received the tourists at Phidang, said Mangan District Collector Anant Jain and Superintendent of Police (SP) Sonam Detchu Bhutia led the convoy to ensure a safe departure of the visitors, he said.

"The convoy of vehicles, carrying tourists, comprising 737 men, 561 women and 380 children, crossed via Theng Check Post and arrived in Phdang before heading for the state capital," an official said.

The Sikkim DGP said that efforts are underway to evacuate more than 100 tourists stranded in Lachen.

Sachdeva said he enquired about the well-being of the tourists who were on their way to Gangtok. Many of them thanked the district administration for its support in north Sikkim.

The tourists expressed gratitude to the Sikkim government and all the agencies involved in the evacuation process, the official said.

Incessant rainfall since May 29 triggered landslides in several parts of Mangan district, causing partial damage to bridges in Phidang and Sangkalang and disrupting road connectivity for several days.

The district administration had pleaded for help from BRO and other agencies, which swung into action to restore the road network to resume vehicular movement.

The BRO teams cleared debris, reconstructed damaged stretches and the dangerous breach near the suspension bridge at Phidang for one-way vehicular connectivity towards Lachung to pave the way for the evacuation of stranded tourists via the Lachung-Chungthang-Shipgyere-Sanklang-Dikchu road, another official said.

With rainfall exceeding 130 mm, major damage occurred along the routes to key tourist destinations, including Lachen, Lachung, Gurudongmar, the Valley of Flowers and Zero Point.

The disaster caused the formation of breaches at multiple locations, damage to bridges and large-scale landslides across vital road stretches, including the Dikchu–Sanklang -Shipgyere road, Chungthang-Lachen-Zeema and Chungthang-Lachung roads.

These routes, which serve as essential links toward Lachen and Lachung, were left completely cut off.

Further, two crucial bailey bridges along the Lachen axis got washed away.

The tourism and civil aviation department, in an advisory, has urged all tourists to exercise caution while travelling to Sikkim and plan their trips based on the latest road and weather updates.

With the monsoon season approaching, heavy rainfall in the region may lead to landslides and road blockages, particularly on routes leading to remote tourist destinations.

"Your safety remains our utmost priority. In the event of road blockages or any unforeseen circumstances, necessary relief and evacuation support will be promptly provided to the stranded tourists," the advisory said.