Nearly 400 tourists rescued from North Sikkim by Army, IAF on helicopters
The Hindu
IAF, Army rescue 400 tourists incl. 13 from Bangladesh from Lachen & Lachung towns in North Sikkim. 10 sorties of MI-17 & Chinook helicopters moved 354 tourists to Pakyong airport. Army shifted 45 tourists from Lachen to Mangan on helicopters. Cloudburst over Lhonak Lake caused flash flood in Teesta river, devastating towns & villages. Rescue operation to resume on Tuesday.
Nearly 400 tourists, including 13 from Bangladesh, were rescued by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Army from the Lachen and Lachung towns in North Sikkim on Monday, officials said.
The MI-17 and Chinook helicopters of the IAF conducted 10 sorties, moving 354 tourists out of the disaster-hit areas, they said.
These tourists were brought to Pakyong airport, they added.
The Army shifted 45 tourists from Lachen to Mangan on helicopters, officials said.
These tourists were stranded in Lachen and Lachung after a cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in Mangan district on Wednesday caused a flash flood in Teesta river, devastating several towns and villages across the Himalayan state, they said.
The operation to rescue tourists stranded in the affected areas will resume again on Tuesday, officials said.
While residents are worried over deaths due to diarrhoea in Vijayawada, officials still grapple to find the root cause. Contaminated drinking water supplied by VMC officials is the reason, insist people in the affected areas, but officials insist that efforts are on to identify the disease and that those with symptoms other than diarrhoea too are visiting the health camps.