The Sikkim government on Sunday arranged a special helicopter sortie to rescue local residents and tourist taxi drivers who were stranded in Lachen for over a week as roads and bridges were damaged by landslides and swollen rivers.

Sources in the state government said that 48 stranded persons — 28 civilians and 20 army personnel — were airlifted from Chaten, near Lachen, and brought to the Pakyong Greenfield Airport near Gangtok in two sorties.

“Among the 28 civilians were residents, tourist taxi drivers and government officials, who had been stranded due to ongoing disruptions in the region brought about by flash floods and landslides. The special helicopter sortie was deployed for the mission by the state to ensure immediate relief and safe evacuation of those affected by the ongoing challenges in the region,” said a source.

In the second sortie, essential supplies for the Indian army stationed in Chaten were sent and 20 army personnel were flown back to Pakyong, the source added.

Due to torrential rainfall in the mountain state since May-end, popular tourist spots in north Sikkim's Mangan, including Lachung and Lachen, suffered extensive damage. Multiple landslides blocked roads, rivers swelled in the downpour and washed away bridges.

While the road connecting Lachung was cleared and stranded tourists could be evacuated by road, those stuck in Lachen had to be airlifted. The district administration, along with the army, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and other agencies are making efforts to restore road connectivity between Lachen and Chungthang.

On Saturday, a five-member team of the state food and civil supplies department took one of the choppers and reached Chaten.

The team, led by Palden N. Lachungpa, the district civil supplies officer of Mangan, went to Lachen to check whether the existing government stock of food grains was adequate for the area.

The team found out that around 553 quintals of rice were stored currently in the local godown and would be distributed among the residents as part of the Centre’s directive to provide additional rice to people in vulnerable areas as a part of monsoon preparedness.

“The Sikkim government is working in tandem with the Mangan district administration and the officials posted in Lachen. Essential supplies have been ferried by helicopters, and all necessary steps would be taken to ensure that there is no shortage in stock of food grains till road connectivity is restored,” said a government official.