A devastating landslide struck an army camp in Chatten, North Sikkim, on Sunday evening, resulting in the deaths of three army personnel and leaving six others missing. The incident occurred at approximately 7 pm near the town of Lachen in Mangan district and was caused by heavy and continuous rainfall, according to defence officials.
The torrential rain triggered the landslide that damaged the army camp and surrounding areas. Havaldar Lakhwinder Singh, Lance Naik Munish Thakur, and porter Abhishek Lakhada were confirmed dead. Their bodies have been recovered. Four other soldiers sustained minor injuries and were successfully rescued.
In a statement released by the Army, it was confirmed that "a landslide took place yesterday at Chatten, North Sikkim which damaged nearby habitat. Three bodies have been recovered which include some combatants. More are suspected to be missing. Process for identification of the deceased and search operation is in progress."
Efforts to locate the remaining six missing personnel are ongoing. &ldquo;Rescue teams are working round-the-clock under challenging conditions to locate the six missing personnel,&rdquo; the defence official said. The Army extended its condolences to the families of the deceased and stated that all necessary support is being provided.
Arun Thatal, Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Chungthang, confirmed the scale of the disaster: &ldquo;The army camp at Chatten was hit by a landslide after the water level in the Lachen River increased. Three bodies of army personnel have been recovered and nine army personnel are missing. Search operation by the army is going on.&rdquo;
Chatten, located about three kilometres from Lachen, has been identified as one of the worst-affected areas, housing several army camps. The region continues to face the impact of severe weather, with many areas in North Sikkim remaining inaccessible due to multiple landslides.
In a related development, rescue efforts were launched on Monday morning to evacuate 1,600 tourists, including 380 children, who had been stranded in Lachung since May 30.&nbsp;
&ldquo;As many as 1,600 tourists, including 380 children, were rescued from Lachung on Monday. They had been stranded since May 30 after heavy rains triggered multiple landslides and the rivers swelled. The debris was cleared on Sunday night. Rescue operations started on Monday morning. Around 150 tourists are still stranded in Lachen. They are safe and lodged in hotels. The NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) is there too,&rdquo; said Anant Jain, District Collector of Mangan.
Lachen and Lachung, situated at elevations of over 2,700 metres, are popular stopovers for travellers heading to high-altitude destinations such as Gurudongmar Lake and Yumthang Valley.
This incident follows another tragedy in the region last Thursday, when nine people &mdash; including eight tourists &mdash; went missing after their vehicle fell into the swollen Teesta River. Authorities fear all are dead.
As heavy rain continues to batter the region and landslides persist, reports of casualties and damage are still emerging from remote areas of North Sikkim.
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Heavy rains triggered a deadly landslide in North Sikkim, damaging an army camp and leaving several personnel missing.

Landslide in Sikkim Kills 3 Soldiers, 6 Still Missing

Heavy rains triggered a deadly landslide in North Sikkim, damaging an army camp and leaving several personnel missing.

June 2, 2025 | 17:09 IST