Daijiworld Media Network- Gangtok
Gangtok, Jun 3: In a tragic turn of events, a devastating landslide triggered by incessant rainfall struck an Indian Army post at Chhaten near Lachen in North Sikkim’s Mangan district on Sunday evening, claiming the lives of three Army personnel and leaving six others, including a senior officer and his family, missing.
The landslide, which occurred around 7 pm, ravaged a significant portion of the military camp, burying structures under tonnes of debris. According to a defence spokesperson, the deceased have been identified as Havildar Lakhwinder Singh, Lance Naik Munish Thakur from Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh, and a civilian porter, Abhishek Lakhada. Four others sustained minor injuries and were safely rescued.
The six personnel and family members who remain untraceable include Lt Col Pritpal Sandhu, his wife Sqn Leader Arati B Sandhu (retd), their young daughter Amaira Sandhu, Subedar Dharamveer, Sepoy Sainudheen PK and Sepoy Sunilal Muchahary.
“A catastrophic landslide occurred following intense and continuous rainfall in the region, causing the death of three Army men. Their bodies have been recovered while four other soldiers were rescued with minor injuries,” a statement from the defence official read. Rescue efforts are ongoing despite challenging weather and terrain conditions.
In a demonstration of solidarity and leadership, Lt Gen Zubin Minawalla, general officer commanding of the army’s 33 corps, arrived at the site on Monday to oversee rescue and recovery operations. The corps, in a post on social media, lauded the Army’s swift and relentless efforts in conducting the search amid the disaster's aftermath.
Visuals shared by the army paint a grim picture of the destruction — an entire section of the mountain slope sheared off, flattening the military outpost and leaving behind a trail of mangled debris. The operation continues with full force as the army, aided by disaster response teams, leaves no stone unturned in the mission to locate the missing.
The tragedy has cast a pall over the region, highlighting the perilous conditions faced by troops stationed in remote, high-altitude areas vulnerable to natural disasters.