Over 1,300 Tourists Rescued from Landslide-Hit North Sikkim

PTI, April 9, 2026, Gangtok: Over 1,000 stranded tourists were rescued from Lachen in Sikkim's Mangan district, where multiple landslides have snapped road connectivity, officials said on Thursday.

The tourists were stranded in Lachen in North Sikkim since April 5.

The officials said 1,321 tourists and 84 locals were rescued on Thursday. The evacuation exercise was carried out under the supervision of Mangan District Collector Anant Jain and active coordination of the Army, BRO, 'Lachen Dzumsa', and tourism stakeholders, they said.

Special arrangements of buses and tourist vehicles had been made to transfer the tourists from Taram Chu to Chungthang and onward to Gangtok.

After the completion of the evacuation process at Taram Chu, local MLA and Sikkim Social Welfare minister Samdup Lepcha interacted with officials of the Indian Army and the BRO and thanked them for their consistent effort.

He also interacted with the tourists and wished them a pleasant journey to their destination.

The minister thanked the district administration and all the agencies involved in the arduous task of safe evacuation of tourists from Lachen.

"Despite adverse weather conditions and logistical challenges, the mission was accomplished through teamwork and community spirit," he stated.