All tourists airlifted from Chaten, locals still stranded
Times of India | 7 June 2025
123 Kalimpong: The remaining 63 tourists were airlifted from Chaten on Friday as part of the ongoing rescue operations in North Sikkim.Some locals were also evacuated, said sources. Helicopter services are scheduled to resume on Saturday and they will carry essential relief material from Pakyong Airport to Chaten. Efforts will be made to bring back the remaining stranded local residents. "With this, all stranded tourists who have come to our notice have been evacuated successfully from Chaten. The police have reached every nook and corner and I can say that nobody is left behind," said Mangan police chief Sonam Ditchu Bhutia.Among the stranded were people from Kalimpong, who travelled to Gurudongmar Lake for a prayer ritual. They were stuck in Lachen for five days and two days in Chaten.Smritha Rao, a tourist from Chennai, later said that it was unfortunate that the weather took a drastic turn. "We were in Lachen without electricity and with no contact with anyone for five days. But I must mention how well we were taken care of by the locals, the police, the Army and the NDRF." Rao and her group will travel to Bagdogra and fly back to Chennai.Another tourist, Rajkumari Kutty, said she travelled from Gangtok to Lachen on May 30 and was planning to visit Gurudongmar. "But the weather changed suddenly and we got stuck in Lachen. Later, the hotel arranged to bring us to Chaten. I have become a big fan of the people in Lachen," she said. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes, messages, and quotes !