76 army personnel airlifted from landslide-hit Chaten in north Sikkim
Gangtok (PTI): At least 76 army personnel were on Saturday airlifted from Chaten in north Sikkim where road connectivity has been snapped due to multiple landslides triggered by heavy rain, officials said.
This marks the "completion of coordinated evacuation efforts", which included the rescue of all stranded tourists earlier, they said.
"Altogether 76 army personnel were airlifted by three MI-17 helicopters. The air evacuation operation from Chaten has concluded today with the helicopters transporting army personnel from Chaten to Pakyong Greenfield Airport," an official said.
The state government continues to closely monitor the overall situation and remains committed to providing all necessary support in the disaster-hit region and assistance to those affected by natural calamities, another official said.
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Heavy rain had triggered multiple landslides in north Sikkim recently, disrupting road connectivity in the region. As a result, more than 1,600 tourists had been stranded in Lachen, Lachung and Chungthang towns for days before they were rescued by the state government.
The Indian army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and the Mangan district administration had carried out rescue and search operations for days and evacuated all stranded tourists and local people, the officials said.
Several helicopters were pressed into service to evacuate more than 140 tourists by air, they said.
Three army personnel were killed, four injured and six others went missing after a landslide hit a military camp at Chaten on the evening of June 1. Efforts are underway to locate the missing soldiers.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
