GANGTOK: The Sikkim government has arranged a special helicopter sortie for their immediate air evacuation in response to requests made by stranded locals, tourist taxi drivers, and certain government officials stationed at the Chaten area.

The operation comes as part of the ongoing coordinated relief and evacuation efforts being undertaken in view of recent adverse conditions that have disrupted normal road connectivity and access to the region.

The helicopter sortie began this morning from the Pakyong Greenfield Airport, with the first sortie taking off towards Chaten to initiate the evacuation process.

The State Government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all citizens in affected regions.

Rescue and relief operations were being conducted in North Sikkim, following recent floods in the region.

Meanwhile, the Sikkim government is still closely monitoring the overall situation in the region and is providing all necessary support and assistance to those affected.

Earlier on Friday, in a major relief operation, all stranded tourists were successfully evacuated from Chaten, one of the worst-hit areas in North Sikkim, following recent landslides and flash floods. Mangan District Collector Anant Jain confirmed the evacuation.

DC Anant Jain praised the joint efforts of the district administration, military, paramilitary forces, and local communities for their swift and coordinated response. "Our priority was to ensure the safety of every stranded individual. We thank the Indian Air Force and all ground teams for their relentless service," Jain said.

The final phase of the operation involved Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters airlifting the remaining 63 tourists from Chaten on Thursday, with follow-up sorties resuming on Friday morning as weather conditions improved. The operation was carried out in coordination with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and local administration.

Earlier in the week, more than 1,600 tourists were rescued by road from Lachung and Lachen valleys in a massive ground operation led by DC Jain. The tourists, including several elderly individuals and children, were safely escorted through challenging terrain and intermittent weather disturbances.

Several days of heavy rainfall have triggered landslides, mudslides, flash floods, and rockfalls in many parts of the state.