The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has restored vital road connectivity to Lachung in Sikkim’s Mangan district, paving the way for the evacuation of nearly 1,500 stranded tourists from Lachung and Lachen starting Monday, officials confirmed.
Following heavy rains and a sudden cloudburst on May 30, extensive damage was inflicted across North Sikkim’s key tourist routes, including landslides, breaches, and damaged bridges. The affected roads—Lachung-Chungthang-Shipgyere-Sanklang-Dikchu and others—were left impassable, trapping hundreds of tourists. BRO teams cleared landslides, repaired damaged stretches, and restored one-way vehicular passage near the suspension bridge at Phidang, ensuring safe transit for rescue operations.
Two bailey bridges on the Lachen axis at Minsithang and Zeema were washed away, isolating Lachen from both north and south, while the Teesta River’s heavy flow endangered the suspension bridge towers at Phidang.