Four days after the collapse of the Teesta 3 dam which killed at least 52 people in the north-eastern part of India, the Air Force helicopters finally managed to land on the affected areas to carry out the first SAR (Search and Rescue) missions in Himalayan area. The disaster was caused by a failure of the structure after the heavy rains that had swollen the dam.

Icy water flooded the valley, sweeping away bridges and houses. Thousands have fled the area, but the police, civil protection and military have reported that around 100 people are missing. Now, thanks to the improvement of weather conditions in the State of Sikkim, helicopters have arrived in the Mangan district, the most affected, to help around 3000 tourists who remained isolated in the area.

On Sunday evening, when the sky had started to clear and the rain had calmed down, 89 tourists stranded due to the roads being swept away by the fury of the water, were rescued and boarded a plane from north Sikkim. Another 10 travellers, including five Thai citizens, managed to escape to safety with the assistance of rescuers.