The Indian Army has successfully completed the evacuation of all 1,321 tourists and 84 local residents stranded in North Sikkim after landslides cut off road connectivity in the region, officials confirmed on Thursday.
The operation, named 'Operation Him Setu', was launched to rescue those stranded in the Lachen area following landslide damage on the Lachen-Chungthang road — a stretch located close to the India-China border.
Defence Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Mahendra Rawat confirmed that the entire evacuation was carried out in an incident-free and coordinated manner within 48 hours, despite severe weather conditions including heavy snowfall.
A footbridge was constructed to restore connectivity across the disrupted stretches, enabling safe and continuous movement of evacuees. Army vehicles also helped tow civilian vehicles across difficult terrain.
Reception centres were established at key locations along the evacuation route to provide food, shelter, and medical care to those rescued.
Medical teams remained deployed throughout the operation to assist evacuees requiring attention, ensuring no one was left without support during the process.
The operation was executed in close coordination with the civil administration and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which simultaneously carried out road clearance, snow removal, and restoration of connectivity under extremely challenging conditions.
Troops also opened critical mountain passes and activated alternate routes to keep the evacuation moving despite the terrain.
The effort was led by the Trishakti Corps under the Eastern Command of the Indian Army, with troops maintaining a continuous ground presence to ensure orderly movement throughout.
A Sikkim government official confirmed that multiple landslides have disrupted road connectivity between Lachen and Chungthang. The situation in the region continues to be closely monitored by authorities.