On Tuesday, two V-5 helicopters landed at Pakyong Greenfield Airport carrying teams from the NDRF. The first sortie deployed 23 personnel with satellite communication equipment and essential supplies to Chaten, a remote area severely impacted by landslides and flooding. The deployment aims to restore connectivity, support evacuations, and establish emergency communication lines.
Efforts to rescue and reach those stranded have been hampered by inclement weather, forcing a temporary suspension of airlift operations. According to the Mangan district administration, around 120–140 tourists remain stranded in Lachen, 90 at the Chaten Army camp, and 6–7 in the Lachen-Zema stretch. As of the latest updates, 27 tourists have been airlifted to Pakyong, and a temporary footpath has been constructed between Lachen and Chaten to allow limited ground movement.
The search operation for those missing after the tragic road accident near Munshithang on May 29 continues unabated. A coordinated effort involving the Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation, the Indian Himalayan Centre for Adventure & Eco-tourism (IHCAE), local administration, police, and disaster response teams is actively combing through affected areas.
On Tuesday, a team led by Joint Director (Adventure) Kazi Sherpa, Deputy Director Manoj Chettri, and other officials conducted a ground search near the accident site. This was done in coordination with the Sub-Divisional Magistrate and SDPO of Chungthang, alongside personnel from Fire and Emergency Services, Forest Department, and the Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS). Families of the missing tourists were also present on-site to observe the rescue efforts.
Simultaneously, NDRF personnel conducted detailed searches along the riverbed. On June 1 and 2, joint teams from the NDRF and Tourism Department scouted a 3–4 km stretch downstream in search of the missing individuals. Additional search activities are being conducted by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), led by ASI Dawa Sherpa, focusing on areas along the Toong, Ritchu Khola, and Chungthang belts.
In a related development, Assistant Director General of the Ministry of Tourism Bharti K Sharma, along with other ministry officials, arrived at Bagdogra Airport for a four-day reconnaissance visit to Sikkim. The team, which includes Assistant Director Amit Raj, officials from Ashok Events (ITDC), and the Regional Office (North East), is in the region to review arrangements for the upcoming 13th International Tourism Mart 2025, scheduled from June 3 to 6.
Authorities are closely monitoring the situation, and additional resources are being mobilized. All agencies have reiterated their commitment to continue search and relief operations until all missing persons are accounted for and all stranded tourists are safely evacuated.
