Defence forces, helped by the Sikkim government, could evacuate most stranded tourists from Lachen early on Thursday when the weather improved slightly.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed four MI-17 and two Cheetah helicopters into service for north Sikkim from morning to early afternoon. "The six choppers were able to reach isolated and severely affected areas of Chaten (near Lachen). In all, 199 persons were rescued, and 6,000kg of relief material dropped in 22 sorties,” said a source.

“The helicopters were airborne at dawn today (Thursday) and evacuated tourists and locals, including children, within a short period, in the tiny weather window available till early afternoon. They have delivered much-needed succour to civilians, service personnel, and foreigners who have been stranded in this landslide-hit region,” the source added.

“This evacuation work, however, stopped later in the day because the weather deteriorated. The information that we have received from the Mangan district administration is that another 60-odd tourists are still stuck in Chaten (near Lachen),” said an administrative official in Gangtok.

In Sikkim, Mangan is the sole district in the north, close to the India-China border. Popular destinations like Lachen and Lachung are located in the district.

“We could rescue over 1,600 tourists from Lachung (in the past week) because the damage to the roads was comparatively less. Those visiting Lachen got stranded as multiple slides occurred between the Chungthan-Lachen stretch,” said C.S. Rao, the principal secretary of the Sikkim tourism department.

From Pakyong, the choppers also took personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), along with their equipment, to provide support to the ongoing disaster relief operations.

A team from the state power department and another team from a private cell phone network company were also airlifted to restore essential services such as electricity and telecommunications in areas rendered inaccessible by road.

Police (communication branch) personnel were also proceeding towards the affected areas "to bridge the gap between isolation and service", sources said.

Feasibility survey

A team of government officials and staff from Chungthang conducted a feasibility survey on Thursday to assess the situation and explore immediate steps to establish communication and connectivity along the Chungthang–Lachen axis. The team comprised the Pipon and representatives of the Lachen Dzumsa.

Pipons are traditional leaders, and the Dzumsa is a form of local governance in north Sikkim.