Gangtok, June 4 -- A rescue operation to evacuate 113 stranded tourists from Lachen in North Sikkim was called off early on Wednesday after bad weather forced an MI-17 helicopter carrying National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel to abort its mission.

The chopper, carrying nine National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, took off from Pakyong Airport around 6 a.m. but had to return mid-air as poor visibility near Mangan and Chaten made "flying conditions unsafe".

No rescue operations were conducted today due to these challenges, the authorities said in their official statement.

The tourists have been stranded in Lachen for over a day after heavy rains triggered multiple landslides, blocking key roads and cutting off acce...