Sikkim: Around 50 tourists rescued from Lachung, moved to Mangan town

Around 50 tourists were rescued from North Sikkim's Lachung on June 17 and moved to Mangan town, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) said.

The rescue operation, however, had to be halted due to inclement weather, and the remaining tourists would be moved on June 18y, it said.

The rescue operation began after the BRO restored connectivity between Chungthang and Mangan via the recently built bridge at Toong over the Teesta river.

"The BRO in close coordination with civil administration and team of NDRF is leading the mammoth evacuation operation," a statement said.

Incessant rains since June 12 wreaked havoc in Mangan, causing multiple landslides, and severing connectivity to most parts of the district. Due to the blockage of various roads at several locations, nearly 1,200 to 1,500 tourists got stranded in Lachung town, officials said.

The situation became grave after the collapse of the newly constructed suspension bridge at Sanklang as it was the main connection to North Sikkim and Dzongu, they said.

"Responding to the natural disaster by overcoming severe weather conditions and heavy rainfall in the region, the BRO launched restoration efforts by mobilizing huge manpower and machinery to restore connectivity to North Sikkim at the earliest," the statement said.

"Swift and efficient response by a brave team of 758 BRTF under Project Swastik once again demonstrated their selfless commitment, resilience and determination in restoring vital connectivity and rescue of stranded tourists from North Sikkim," it added.