Sikkim: Army Braves Bad Weather, Tough Terrain to Locate Lt Col and 5 Others in Chaten

Sikkim: The Indian Army is working relentlessly to assist local residents and stranded tourists.

Despite bad weather and tough terrain, Indian Army along with Air Force and NDRF is continuing the search and rescue operations in the landslide-hit Lachen area of North Sikkim.

The Indian Army is working relentlessly to assist local residents and stranded tourists. Lachen village, the main hub for tourism in the region, has been completely cut off. Search operations continued with urgency to locate the six individuals still missing after the landslide struck a military camp at Chaten.

The missing include Lieutenant Colonel Pritpal Singh Sandhu, his wife, Squadron Leader (Retd) Aarti Sandhu, their daughter Amayra Sandhu, Subedar Dharamveer, Naik Sunilal Muchahary and Sepoy Sainudheen PK.

The Army has deployed specialised teams and engineering equipment; however, the ongoing efforts have been significantly hampered by extremely bad weather, unstable ground, and the challenging high-altitude terrain. However, the Indian Army remains unwavering in its commitment—every life matters, and every effort continues.

Significantly, the Army has established foot connectivity to the village and reached out to 113 stranded tourists, who will be evacuated soon. On 3 June 2025, 30 tourists, including some foreign nationals, were successfully airlifted by military helicopters.

On Wednesday morning at around 6 AM, a Mi-17 V5 helicopter with nine NDRF personnel along with communication and other equipment departed for landslide hit Lachen. But the helicopter had to return to Pakyong airport due to inclement weather in Mangan and Chaten.

Also Read: “Committed to providing support to affected in Sikkim, Manipur”: Jyotiraditya Scindia

For more news and updates, visit: Northeast Live

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