Sikkim floods have not affected operations along LAC: Defence Ministry

“Indian Army along with all agencies and civil administration continue their relentless search and rescue operations, while at the same time focusing on resuscitation of communication and other infrastructure in a well-coordinated manner,” it said.

A glacial lake outburst in South Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim this week led to the flood after the water level in the Teesta river increased by about 50-60 feet.

The exact assessment of the damage is yet to be corroborated due to the inclement weather and incessant rains, the ministry said. Some of the Army camps along the Teesta river banks were damaged or washed away. A vehicle parking area at Burdang was flooded and 23 soldiers who were taking a temporary overnight transit halt there were submerged in the silt or swept away.

The Defence Ministry said at the site of the incident, silt and mud measuring up to 30-40 feet has been deposited. So far, bodies of eight Army personnel have been recovered.

A massive search and rescue operation is being conducted and the Indian Army, BRO, NDRF, state disaster relief teams, paramilitary forces, police, civil administration and local population of Sikkim and north Bengal are engaged in it. On October 4 evening, one soldier was rescued by villagers from an area 18 km downstream of Burdang.

As per the ministry, excavators and plant equipment have been digging up the site of the incident at Burdang. Since October 6, Leo Life Detector Radar, REECO Radar and Army dogs have also been employed.

The Army has issued advisories through civil administration and deployed look out teams along with state police to ask the locals to report any sightings.

The ministry said ammunition experts have been deployed to destroy any explosives recovered, in a controlled manner. National Highway-10, the lifeline of Sikkim, has been rendered unusable due to the damage to the road surface. Alternate routes to Gangtok are available via east Sikkim and routes to West and South Sikkim are also available.

“In North Sikkim, roads beyond Mangan are currently cut off. Lt Gen R P Kalita, GOC-in-C, Eastern Command, along with Lt Gen V P S Kaushik, GOC, Trishakti Corps, undertook an aerial survey on October 6 to assess the extent of damage and plan for the relief effort,” the statement said.

The Director General, BRO, along with Indian Army engineers, NHIDCL and state government officials are assessing the damage and carrying out surveys for restoring the road connectivity.

Approximately 1,500 tourists are stranded in Lachung and Lachen valleys in north Sikkim. The Army, along with the local administration, has been extending assistance to the stranded tourists and locals by providing food, medical aid and phone connectivity through satellite terminals. Special helplines have been set up at Indian Army’s Trishakti Corps HQ and family members back home of all the stranded tourists have been informed about their well-being.