Three army personnel died and six soldiers went missing after a landslide hit a military camp at Chhaten in Sikkim, a defence official said on Monday.
The landslide, which occurred at 7pm on Sunday near Lachen town in Mangan district, was triggered by heavy rainfall in the area, he said.
“... A catastrophic landslide occurred following intense and continuous rainfall in the region causing death of three combatants, identified as Havaldar Lakhwinder Singh, Lance Naik Munish Thakur, and Porter Abhishek Lakhada,” the official said in a statement.
Landslide at Chaten, North Sikkim
— Trishakticorps_IA (@trishakticorps) June 2, 2025
A massive landslide, triggered by heavy rains struck an Army camp at approx 7 PM on 01 June.
Four personnel with minor injuries have been rescued. Mortal remains of Hav Lakhwinder Singh, Lance Naik Munish Thakur & Porter Abhishek Lakhada… pic.twitter.com/7y6FkHWVDf
Bodies of the personnel have been recovered, while four other soldiers were rescued with minor injuries, the official said in a statement.
"Rescue teams are working round-the-clock under challenging conditions to locate the six missing personnel," he said.
The army has expressed deep condolences to the families of the deceased and assured all necessary support, the defence official added.
NHIDCL puts restrictions on movement of vehicles on NH 10
The National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) has issued a traffic advisory restricting vehicular movement along the NH 10 (Sevoke to Rangpo) section in the light of ongoing emergency works due to sharp rise in the Teesta River's water level, an official said on Monday.
An official order issued by the DGM(P) PMU-Siliguri issued on Sunday said on June 2 and 3 traffic will be fully closed from 8 am to 2 pm at four key locations - near Suntaley (km 14.45), near Likhuveer (km 26 to 28), near Melli (km 33 to 34) and km 49.98.
The 52 km stretch of NH 10 from Sevoke to Rango connects Sikkim with Siliguri town in West Bengal.
The traffic regulation will be further coordinated with the respective district administrations of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Namchi, Pakyong, and Gangtok for smooth execution, it said.
Meanwhile, with the monsoon season approaching, and heavy rainfall in the region may lead to landslides and road blockages, particularly on routes leading to remote tourist destinations, the Sikkim government's Tourism department has advised all tourists to exercise caution while travelling and to plan their trips based on the latest road and weather updates from official sources.
"Your safety remains our utmost priority. In the event of road blockages or any unforeseen circumstances, necessary relief and evacuation support will be promptly provided to the stranded tourists," it said.
