Evacuation of stranded tourists in landslide-hit Sikkim continues

Guwahati: The evacuation of over 1200 tourists stranded in North Sikkim since June 12 due to incessant rainfall and a series of landslides continues.

Troops of the Indian Army’s Trishakti Corps have been assisting the local administration in the evacuation process.

Due to multiple landslides, the tourists are being moved on foot and by vehicle in the stretches wherever connectivity exists, Guwahati-based Defence PRO, Lt Col Mahendra Rawat, said late Tuesday night.

Working under inclement weather conditions and challenging terrain, the signallers of Indian Army helped telecom service providers BSNL and Airtel restore mobile connectivity in the region on Tuesday.

Ever since the catastrophic landslides hit the region on June 12, the Indian Army has installed over half a dozen telephone booths to facilitate the local populace and tourists to connect with their relatives, he said.

The Army has deployed several medical teams who are providing essential health services to the local residents and tourists.

More than 115 people have received medical care thus far, including an emergency patient suffering from high altitude pulmonary edema and acute respiratory distress syndrome, he added.

Lt Col Rawat said that the Indian Army engineers have been assisting the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) with manpower and stores to restore connectivity in the disrupted region at the earliest.