After a landslide hit an army camp amid heavy rainfall in Sikkim, a team of 23 NDRF personnel was rushed to Chhaten in North Sikkim from Gangtok on Tuesday. The NDRF team which has been sent to Chatten has been on its feet to execute a search operation for six soldiers. The six soldiers have been missing since a landslide hit an army camp, as stated by an official.
Briefing in detail about the rescue team that has been dispatched from Gangtok to Chatten, the official said that the NDRF team has been equipped with satellite phones and essential emergency equipment. He added that “the team departed in a helicopter for Chhaten on Tuesday from Pakyong Airport.”
Earlier, a landslide struck a military camp in Chhaten, resulting in the deaths of three army personnel and the disappearance of six soldiers. The heavy rainfall in the area triggered the landslide, which occurred at 7 pm on Sunday near Lachen town in Mangan district.
As reported by the PTI, an official briefing about the unfortunate incident stated that “… a catastrophic landslide occurred following intense and continuous rainfall in the region, causing the death of three combatants, identified as Havaldar Lakhwinder Singh, Lance Naik Munish Thakur, and Porter Abhishek Lakhada.”
Bodies of all three combatants have been recovered, while four other soldiers who went missing in this disaster were rescued with minor injuries, the official said in a statement. Furthermore, the NDRF team will aid in evacuation, rescue and the establishment of temporary communication lines. The authorities have issued directives to explore alternate foot-access routes and assess the feasibility of helipad operations, depending on prevailing weather conditions.
Later, while dealing with the situation with sheer perfection, thirty-four people were successfully evacuated from landslide-hit Chhaten, which included civilians, tourists, and army personnel. The official also said that two MI-17 V5 helicopters completed the evacuation mission, landing safely at Pakyong Airport near here with 34 people on board.
However, the official team also said that the personnel who were injured in this calamity are now being treated as a priority.
(With PTI Inputs)