At least 14 people have died and 102 others, including 23 army personnel, went missing on Wednesday after a cloud burst over Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim triggered a flash flood in the Teesta River basin.
As per a report in ANI, all 14 who died were identified as civilians. About 3,000 tourists are reported to be stranded in different parts of Sikkim. 12-14 workers working in the Teesta Stage 3 dam in Chungthang are still stranded in the tunnels of the dam.
Sikkim flash floods: Top developments
1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Wednesday to take stock of the situation in the state and assured him of all possible support.
“Spoke to Sikkim CM Shri @PSTamangGolay and took stock of the situation in the wake of the unfortunate natural calamity in parts of the state. Assured all possible support in addressing the challenge. I pray for the safety and well-being of all those affected,” Modi said on X.
2. The Sikkim Chief Secretary said that the road infrastructure has suffered extensive damage due to flooding as 14 bridges have collapsed with nine of them being under Border Roads Organization (BRO) and five others belonging to the state government.
3. Several towns, including Dikchu, Singtam and Rangpo located in the Teesta basin, have also been flooded with the upsurge in the river. A notification by the education department said that all schools located in Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi districts will remain closed till October 8.
4. Chief Minister P S Tamang visited Singtam and took stock of the situation. He also held a meeting with senior officials at the Singtam Nagar Panchayat office and asked them to keep vigil.
5. Several teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were pressed in for rescue-and-relief operations. The state government has set up 18 relief camps in Singtam, Rangpo, Dikchu and Adarsh Gaon to house the displaced people.
6. Parts of National Highway-10, the main link between Sikkim and the rest of the country, were washed away, while a flood alert was issued for North Bengal and Bangladesh through which the Teesta River flows.
7. The Indian Army has started three helplines for families of missing people in Sikkim.
Army Helpline for East Sikkim – 8756991895
Army Helpline No for North Sikkim – 8750887741
Army Helpline for missing persons – 7588302011
8. To deal with the shortage of ration and other essentials in Sikkim, the state government has decided to construct Bailey bridge with help from the Army and National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).
9. The devastation and loss of lives due to a flash flood in the Lachen valley caused by a cloudburst in Sikkim’s Lhonak Lake is distressing, President Droupadi Murmu said on Wednesday. “It also caused extensive damage to some army establishments with personnel of the army missing in the floods. I pray for the safety of all missing persons and extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families,” she said.
10. Chungthang and most of North Sikkim have disrupted mobile network connection as the fibre cable lines were also being destroyed by the flash floods in Sangkalan and Toong in Mangan district.
(With agencies inputs)
Also Read: Weather Update: IMD predicts heavy rainfall in these parts of India till Oct 8. Check details here
