Indian Army rescues 500 stranded tourists from landslide-hit Sikkim

GANGTOK: The Indian Army rescued nearly 500 tourists stranded due to landslides that blocked roads in Sikkim after a heavy torrential rain on Friday. Lachen, Lachung and Chungthang in North Sikkim witnessed the massive downpour.

Around 500 tourists, who were traveling to Lachung and Lachen, were stranded at Chungthang on Friday evening following landslides enroute, according to Trishakti Corps under the Eastern Command.

It said on Saturday, “On request from SDM Chungthang, troops of Trishakti Corps swung into action and rescued the stranded tourists to safety. The stranded tourists that included 216 male, 113 women and 54 children, were moved to three different Army Camps and were provided with hot meals and warm clothing."

The troops vacated their barracks to accommodate the tourists and make them comfortable for the night. Three medical teams were formed who checked all the tourists.

Initial medical check-up by the Army medical team found all tourists to be stable. A woman, who visited Gurudongmar Lake during the day, however, complained of severe headache and dizziness after midnight.
A medical team including a woman doctor from nearby a field hospital came and detected acute mountain sickness symptoms in her. The patient was shifted to the ICU at the hospital. She became stable on Saturday morning.