More than 1,200 tourists, including 15 foreigners,
were stranded as massive landslides triggered by incessant rainfall caused
devastation in northern Sikkim’s Mangan district, an official said on Friday.
The office of the chief secretary has
already initiated talks with the Centre for airlifting of all the tourists, depending on the weather conditions,
Sikkim Tourism & Civil Aviation Department’s Principal Secretary C S Rao
said in a statement.
Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang chaired a
high-level meeting in Mintokgang to take stock of the situation after
landslides triggered by heavy rain impacted the Himalayan state severely,
damaging properties and disrupting road connectivity, power and food supplies,
and mobile networks in several areas.
“As per the ground report, around
1,200 domestic and 15 foreign tourists (Thailand:2, Nepal:3, Bangladesh:10) are
stranded in Lachung, Mangan district due to road blockages caused by heavy
rainfall and landslides,” Rao said in the statement.
The stranded tourists are all safe
and sound, and the local authorities have requested them to stay put in their
respective places and avoid taking risks, he said.
There is adequate stock of food supplies and
rations to cater to all the stranded tourists, the official said.
If required, the tourists will be evacuated by
road, and the department is “working in close coordination with the district
administration, police and tourism officials in Mangan” along with the local
tourism stakeholders for the safe evacuation of those stranded there, he said. He assured the tourists of extending all
possible support and assistance to them during this period of distress due to
natural calamity.
Only Lachung is cut off from the rest of the state
and all other parts of Sikkim are open and safe for travel, Rao said. Landslides
blocked stretches of roads and several houses were inundated or damaged due to
heavy rain in the district, while electricity poles were swept away, another
official said.
The chief minister’s meeting was “crucial for
strategising and coordinating our response to restore normalcy and ensure the
safety and well-being of our residents”, he said. During the meeting, officials
concerned provided details on the extent of damages on critical roads and the
immediate challenges for affected people.
They apprised the chief minister of the damaged
infrastructure, especially roads and bridges vital for transportation, and
relief operations. They also briefed the
CM about immediate relief measures, including the deployment of emergency service
personnel, and the supplies of essential commodities.
Tamang directed the officials to monitor the
situation closely and expedite the process of reestablishing connectivity and
relief efforts.