Army begins rescue of 1,000 stranded tourists after road collapse in North Sikkim

Rescue operations to evacuate stranded tourists from the high-altitude town of Lachen began on Wednesday after the Indian Army and the Border Roads Organisation restored connectivity along a damaged road stretch near Tarum Chu in North Sikkim.

Officials said around 1,000 tourists were stranded after a portion of the road connecting Lachen to Chungthang collapsed due to landslides and continuous rainfall, cutting off vehicular movement along the crucial mountain route for several days.

The breach occurred near the Tarum Chu bridge , a key link on the Chungthang–Lachen road, isolating the remote tourist destination and prompting authorities to temporarily suspend travel on the stretch due to safety concerns.

After emergency repair and snow-clearance work, the Army and BRO managed to reopen the route, enabling authorities to begin the evacuation. Tourists are being moved in phased batches along the Lachen–Dongkya La–Lachung–Gangtok corridor , a high-altitude route chosen to ensure safe passage amid fragile road conditions.

The rescue operation is being supervised on the ground by Mangan District Collector Anant Jain and Superintendent of Police LB Chettri , who are coordinating the movement of vehicles and tourists through the narrow mountainous corridor.

Multiple agencies are participating in the operation, including the district administration, police, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the Army and the BRO, with officials working on a war footing to restore connectivity and facilitate the evacuation.

Many of the stranded visitors are believed to be tourists from West Bengal who had travelled to North Sikkim to visit popular high-altitude destinations such as Gurudongmar Lake and Zero Point.

Authorities had earlier issued advisories asking tourists to remain indoors and avoid travel because of unstable weather conditions and the risk of further landslides. Emergency helpline numbers were also circulated to assist stranded visitors.

With the damaged stretch now temporarily restored and snow clearance continuing along the Dongkya La route, officials said the evacuation will continue until all stranded tourists are safely moved out of the remote mountain region .