Army rescues 1217 tourists from snow in Sikkim

Kolkata: The Indian Army has rescued 1,217 tourists, who had got stranded due to snowfall in Sikkim on Wednesday, in the last 24 hours. The 33 Corps of the Eastern Command, which undertook the evacuation, said on Thursday, “The rescue and relief operation by Indian Army which commenced on December 13 continued till early morning hours of 14 December 14. A total of 1217 tourists were evacuated from the forward aread of East Sikkim to an Army Transit Facility. The stranded tourists were provided with medical treatment and comfort, food and shelter.”

It added, “On December 14 the Indian Army in concert with civil administration ensured that all tourists were evacuated back to Gangtok despite the sleet on the roads which presented a challenge to the entire rescue effort. The soldiers worked tirelessly through the night and morning hours to make this rescue a success.”