Gangtok: At least four people were killed while three others are missing in a deadly landslide that occurred late Thursday night in Upper Rimbi area of Yangthang in West Sikkim. Officials have given this information. According to Gyalshing Superintendent of Police (SP) Tshering Sherpa, three people died on the spot after the landslide.
On this matter, SP Sherpa said that the police team, along with local villagers and SSB jawans, evacuated two injured women from the affected area by building a temporary bridge with logs of trees on the flooded Hume river. He said that both the women were taken to the district hospital, but one of them died during treatment. He further said that the condition of another remains critical and three are still missing.
Earlier on Monday, the Defence Public Relations Officer said that a joint scuba and combat diving exercise was conducted by the Indian Army Para (Special Forces) and Indian Navy Marine Commandos (Marcos) from August 30 to September 5 at an altitude of 17,000 feet in Sikkim. During the training, the participants performed open circuit air diving, closed circuit pure oxygen diving, diving to a depth of 17 metres in extreme cold water conditions and combat night diving. SP Sherpa said that the rescue and search operation is still going on.
The exercise, conducted amid inaccessible terrain and icy waters, demonstrated the exceptional professionalism, adaptability and courage of the Indian Army Special Forces and the elite Marine Commandos of the Indian Navy. The high altitude environment created unique challenges, strengthened operational readiness and expanded the limits of combat diving capability.
Such training is essential to prepare soldiers for future battlefields where uncertainty is the only constant, operating in rare high-altitude conditions, performing precision tasks in icy waters, and incorporating combat diving into joint operations strengthens flexibility and versatility. Such exercises also enhance jointmanship between the forces, hone specific warfare skills, and ensure that India’s elite forces are prepared for missions in diverse terrains, from the high Himalayas to the deep seas.
