• Source:JND
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Sikkim: The 2,000 tourists stranded in north Sikkim's Lachung and Chungthang, after continuous heavy rainfall triggered massive landslides and floods in Mangan district, will be airlifted or evacuated via road by Sunday, said a senior official on Friday. At least six people have died so far after the heavy rainfall wreaked havoc in the Himalayan state, damaging properties and crippling road connectivity, power, food, and mobile networks in many areas. Among the tourists, around 1,200 are domestic, 10 from Bangladesh, three from Nepal and two from Thailand, are stuck in Lachung while the remaining are stranded in Chungthang. 

"There is no major destruction in Lachung, Lachen, and Chungthang. We have sent a requisition for the air force and helicopter. Once the weather improves, we will evacuate the tourists," said Sikkim chief secretary Vijay Bhushan Pathak.

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Sikkim's principal secretary of tourism and civil aviation, C S Rao, stated that the stranded tourists, which also includes foreigners, were safe and had access to food supply and portable water. "If needed, tourists will be evacuated by road," he said.

Mangan DM, Hem Kumar Chettri said: "Hopefully, they will be evacuated by Sunday, depending on the weather. A relief camp has been set up at Pakshep. Electricity was restored on Thursday night but mobile networks are still down."

Meanwhile, heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy falls are very likely to continue over sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and northeast India during next 4-5 days, as per the Met office.

Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang chaired a high-level meeting in Mintokgang to assess the situation, according to another official. Local authorities have urged stranded tourists to remain in their current locations and avoid taking unnecessary risks, Rao said.

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Landslides blocked stretches of roads and several houses were inundated or damaged due to heavy rain in the district, while electricity poles were swept away, another official said.

The chief minister's meeting was "crucial for strategising and coordinating our response to restore normalcy and ensure the safety and well-being of our residents", he said.