63 tourists airlifted off Sikkim’s Chaten, more await evacuation
Times of India | 6 June 2025
Kalimpong: As many as 63 stranded tourists were airlifted from North Sikkim's Chaten in the early hours of Thursday. Not all tourists could be evacuated as the weather deteriorated later. The tourists had been stranded in Lachen since May 30 following heavy rainfall and landslides that cut off road access to the region. According to officials, tourists were in safe shelters arranged by the hotel associations. Tourists from Lachung have been evacuated by road in the past few days.Mangan SP Sonam Detchu Bhutia confirmed that evacuation will resume from 5am on Friday if weather permits. "The road is currently closed at a location called Dedkola. It may take about 2-3 days to reopen it and restore normalcy," the SP added. Meanwhile, tourists airlifted to Pakyong airport were transported to Siliguri in a state bus, while those with flight bookings were flown to Bagdogra in a helicopter. Police, on the other hand, issued a travel advisory restricting all tourist movement beyond Chungthang until further notice.