Day after Sikkim flash floods: Toll rises to 14, 22 soldiers among 102 still missing, search on

Sikkim Chief Secretary V B Pathak said the Army personnel who were swept away “had a convoy vehicle which was parked adjacent to the highway which got submerged in the sludge”.

According to the SSDMA bulletin, the state government has set up 26 relief camps in four affected districts. A total of 1,025 people are taking shelter in eight relief camps in Gangtok, while the number of people at the 18 other relief camps was not available immediately.

A West Bengal government release later in the day put the toll higher. “Eighteen bodies have been recovered till now, out of which six bodies (four jawans and two civilians) have been identified. The process of identification of the rest is being carried out,” said the release.

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, meanwhile, said: “A high-level meeting was convened at Mintokgang to assess the current situation and evaluate the extent of damages. I have issued instructions to all pertinent officials, departments, District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police to maintain a state of heightened vigilance and attend to the requirements of the affected public with utmost diligence. In order to ensure accurate and timely information dissemination, the Chief Secretary will provide daily updates to the press,” he said.

He said Home Minister Amit Shah and President Droupadi Murmu called on him to enquire about the situation.

The flash flood in the Teesta river, triggered by the cloudburst in Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim, caused accumulation of a huge quantity of water, which turned towards Chungthang dam, destroying the power infrastructure before moving downstream in spate, flooding towns and villages.

According to the government, the flood destroyed 11 bridges in the state, with eight bridges getting washed away in Mangan district alone. Two bridges were destroyed in Namchi and one in Gangtok. Water pipelines, sewage lines and 277 houses, both kutcha and concrete, have been destroyed in the four affected districts.

Chungthang town bore the maximum brunt of the flood, and the NH-10, considered the lifeline of the state, sustained extensive damage at several places.

According to the SSDMA, seven people died in Pakyong district, four in Mangan and three in Gangtok.

Among the 102 people missing, 59 are from Pakyong, including the Army personnel.

The SSDMA advised people to stay away from the Teesta as the water level was rising due to incessant rains in the upper reaches.

More than 3,000 tourists are feared to be stranded in different parts of the state. The state Tourism Department is in contact with them, officials said.

“The search and rescue operation by the Indian Army for the 22 missing soldiers continues. Troops of Trishakti Corps are extending mobile connectivity to civilians and tourists stranded in the areas of Chungthang, Lachung and Lachen in North Sikkim. The search for the missing persons is now focusing in the areas downstream of Teesta River. Out of the initial 23 missing persons, one person was recovered alive on October 4 evening,” said Army’s Eastern Command in a statement.

“The family members of the missing persons have been contacted and informed about the situation. All other Indian Army personnel posted in Sikkim and North Bengal are safe and they are unable to contact their family members due to disruptions of mobile communication,” it added.

The Sikkim government has asked for three extra platoons of the National Disaster Response Force, which the Central government has approved.