Gangtok:

The toll in the flash flood in Sikkim mounted to 40 with the recovery of two more bodies, while 76 people are still missing about two weeks after the disaster, officials said.

The flash flood in the Teesta river, triggered by a cloudburst in the early hours of October 4, devastated the state, affecting about 88,000 people.

Sikkim has a population of about 6.10 lakh people, the lowest for any state in India, according to the 2011 census.

Most of the bodies were found in Pakyong. Among the 26 bodies found in the district, 15 were of civilians while 11 were of armymen, according to the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA).

Four bodies were found in Mangan, eight bodies in Gangtok and two in Namchi, it said in a bulletin.

Several bodies have been found in neighbouring West Bengal as well, carried by the Teesta to the downstream areas, the officials said.

Of the 76 people missing, 28 were from Pakyong, 23 from Gangtok, 20 from Mangan and five from Namchi.

At present, 20 relief camps are operational in the state where 2,080 people are taking shelter, the SSDMA said.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), a combination of excess rainfall and a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) event at South Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim could have triggered the flash floods.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Gangtok:

The death count in the flash flood in Sikkim rose to 40 on Tuesday with two more bodies being found in the state, while 76 people are still missing about two weeks after the disaster, officials said.

The flash flood in the Teesta river, triggered by a cloudburst in the early hours of October 4, devastated the state, affecting about 88,000 people.

Sikkim has a population of about 6.10 lakh people, the lowest for any state in India, according to the 2011 census.

Most of the bodies were found in Pakyong. Among the 26 bodies found in the district, 15 were of civilians while 11 were of Armymen, according to the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA).

Four bodies were found in Mangan, eight bodies in Gangtok and two in Namchi, it said in a bulletin.

Several bodies have been found in neighbouring West Bengal as well, carried by the Teesta to the downstream areas, officials said.

Of the 76 people missing, 28 were from Pakyong, 23 from Gangtok, 20 from Mangan and five from Namchi.

At present, 20 relief camps are operational in the state and 2,080 people are taking shelter in them, the SSDMA said.

According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), a combination of excess rainfall and a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) event at South Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim could have triggered the flash floods. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Sikkim Chief Minister PS Tamang on Monday announced two housing schemes for those who lost their homes in the flash flood that ravaged the northern part of the Himalayan state.

The state government will also provide Rs 10,000 each to students who lost their school materials and Rs 5,000 more if they live on rent far from home, Mr Tamang said.

The flash flood, which was triggered by a cloudburst in the early hours of October 4, has left at least 38 people dead and affected over 88,000 people. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

In a daring mission conducted in North Sikkim, troops of the Indian Army’s Trishakti Corps rescued 245 people stranded in the village of Rabom due to flashfloods in Sikkim, officials said on Sunday. Trishakti Corps have been undertaking operations on a massive scale to reconnect villages cut off after the flash flood. The Army troops undertook a challenging operation through difficult terrain and reached the isolated village of Rabom.

As per the Trishakti Corps statement, the rescue mission started on October 7 and continued till Friday, October 13, 2023.

“Troops of Trishakti Corps conducted a daring rescue mission in North Sikkim from October 7th to 13th, 2023. Moving through mountainous terrain with thick jungles & undergrowth in challenging weather, the troops reached the 245 persons stranded in the village of Rabom in North Sikkim. Self-contained for operations over a long duration, the troops shared food & medical aid with the stranded people,” the Trishakti Corps handle on X posted.

It further said, “Working 24/7 under inclement weather conditions, the brave soldiers of Indian Army carved a 14.8 km route & rescued 97 workers of Kundan Hydro Power Project and 80-100 locals. The troops have created a helipad in the village, created a safe foot track & continue to assist the stranded people of Rabom, Menshithang and Chubinbin.”

Troops of #TrishaktiCorps conducted a daring rescue mission in North #Sikkim from 7th to 13th Oct 23. Moving through mountainous terrain with thick jungles & undergrowth in challenging weather, the troops reached the 245 persons stranded in the village of Rabom in North #Sikkim.… pic.twitter.com/y9Dneus60g

— Trishakticorps_IA (@trishakticorps) October 15, 2023

Earlier an Indian Air Force statement informed that over 1,700 persons have been evacuated from various flood-affected areas of Sikkim.

As per the officials, Indian Air Force’s Chinook and Mi-17 V5 helicopters continue operations in the flood-affected areas of Sikkim, with the induction of over 200 personnel to boost the relief efforts.

“The IAF helicopters have also delivered nearly 99 tonnes of relief material in the 200 sorties flown till date. Operations shall continue till the requirements exist,” the IAF officials said.

As per the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) report of October 11 at 8 PM, the death count was registered at 37. It further said that 78 have been reported as missing.

The Lhonak glacier in the Sikkim Himalayas burst on October 3, breaching one side of the lake leading to the rise in the water levels in Teesta and inundating several areas of the state, leaving dozens dead and tourists in thousands stranded.

Sikkim suffered significant disruptions due to the recent flash floods that inflicted damage on footbridges, roads, and other infrastructure.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Gangtok:

Fifty-six people were rescued in North Sikkim’s Chungthang, one of the worst affected areas in the flash flood, the ITBP said on Sunday. Among those rescued were 52 men and four women, it said.

In an another rescue operation, 56 civilians (52 Male & 4 Female) were successfully rescued via the ropeway made by the ITBP Rescue Team in Chungtham, North Sikkim. #ITBP#Himveerspic.twitter.com/kbqx9wyAND

— ITBP (@ITBP_official) October 8, 2023

“In another rescue operation, 56 civilians (52 male and four female) were successfully rescued via the ropeway made by the ITBP Rescue Team in Chungthang, North Sikkim,” it tweeted.

The search for the 81 people who went missing in the flash flood continued. So far, 30 bodies have been found, officials said.

The flash flood triggered by a cloudburst in the early hours of Wednesday affected 41,870 people in four districts of the Himalayan state, with Mangan bearing the brunt of the calamity as a population of around 30,300 was hit by the disaster, according to the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA).

The other three affected districts are Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi.

Nineteen of the deaths were reported from Pakyong, six from Gangtok district, four from Mangan, and one from Namchi, the SSDMA said.

Special radar, drones and Army dogs have been deployed for the search operations, officials said.

So far, 2,563 people have been rescued from different areas and 6,875 people have taken shelter in 30 relief camps set up across the state, most of which have been cut off from the rest of the country.

The deluge also damaged more than 1,320 houses and washed away 13 bridges in the four districts of the picturesque Himalayan state.

More than 3,000 tourists stranded in Lachen and Lachung in Mangan district are safe, officials said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The Army on Saturday said the flash floods in the hinterland of Sikkim are not affecting its operational preparedness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the state and the formations responsible for the border management posture are maintaining a high state of readiness.

While the hinterland of Sikkim has been affected, the operational situation along the LAC in Sikkim continues to be stable, the Army said.

It said approximately 1,500 tourists are assessed to be stranded in the areas of Lachung and Lachen valleys in North Sikkim and efforts are on to rescue them.

The Army suffered damage in the floods as some of its camps along the banks of the Teesta river were swept away.

“The formations responsible for the Border Management Posture are maintaining a high state of readiness and are optimally stocked as per the sustainable operational logistics plan,” it said.

The Army’s assertion came on a day when the bodies of eight soldiers were found. The soldiers were part of a group of 22 Army personnel that went missing following the flash floods which were triggered by a cloudburst.

A cloudburst in South Lhonak lake in North Sikkim on October 4 caused a devastating flood in Sikkim.

“The level of water in the Teesta increased by about 50-60 feet in height which caused calamitous floods downstream,” the Army said, adding it was also affected as some of its camps along the river bank were either damaged or washed away.

“A vehicle parking area at Burdang near Singtam was affected by the flash flood and 23 soldiers and 39 vehicles that were taking an overnight transit halt have been submerged in silt or swept away,” the Army said.

“At the site of the incident, silt and mud measuring up to 30-40 feet high have been deposited and most of the vehicles are buried underneath,” it said.

A massive search and rescue operation was immediately launched by the Indian Army, Border Roads Organisation, along with NDRF, state disaster relief teams, para military forces and civil administration.

“The 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,” the Army said in a statement.

The Army said it received reports of some ammunition, explosives and stores of the force being swept away from various camps and that 15 vehicles out of 39 that were missing have been recovered.

“Some ammunition, explosives and stores of the Indian Army from various camps swept away have been reported from various places along the downstream river banks,” it said.

“The Indian Army has issued advisories through civil administration and deployed look out teams along with state police to warn the locals for reporting sighting of such items. Ammunition experts have been deployed to destroy the explosives recovered in a controlled manner,” it said.

The Army said the national highway 10 (NH 10), the lifeline of Sikkim, has been rendered “unusable” due to damage to the road surface and many bridges across the Teesta river were damaged.

“Alternate routes to Gangtok are available through East Sikkim and routes to West and South Sikkim are also available. However, in North Sikkim, roads beyond Mangan are currently cut off,” it said.

Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen RP Kalita along with Lt Gen VPS Kaushik, General-Officer Commanding of the Trishakti Corps, undertook an aerial survey on Friday to assess the extent of damage and plan for the relief efforts.

According to estimates by the state government, a total of 142 people were missing, out of which 26 bodies have been recovered so far, the Army said. It said the exact assessment of the damage is yet to be corroborated due to the inclement weather and incessant rains.

Out of the 26 bodies, eight have been positively identified as that of Indian Army soldiers, the Army said.

It said approximately 1,500 tourists are assessed to be stranded in the areas of Lachung and Lachen valleys in North Sikkim.

“The Indian Army along with the local administration has been extending assistance to the stranded tourists and locals by providing food, medical aid and telephone connectivity through satellite terminals,” it said.

Teams have collected data of all the tourists staying in various hotels and some of them have been accommodated in Army camps, it said.

Special helplines have been set up at Indian Army’s Trishakti Corps headquarter and family members back home of all the stranded tourists have been informed about their well-being.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:
At least 53 people, including seven soldiers, have died in the Sikkim flash floods, with 27 more dead bodies found in the Teesta river bed in neighbouring West Bengal over the last three days. Seven of these bodies have been identified.

Here are 10 points on this big story:

Sikkim:

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has blamed “inferior construction” by the previous state government for the destruction of the Chungthang Dam – a 1200 MW hydroelectric project washed away Wednesday in flash floods triggered by a glacial lake outburst over South Lhonak Lake. Mr Tamang told NDTV “sub-standard” work by the earlier Sikkim Democratic Front government, which was in power for over 24 years, is to blame for a tragedy that has claimed 19 lives so far.

“Dam is fully damaged… washed out. Disaster in the lower belt is because of this. Yes… there was a cloudburst and the Lhonak Lake burst… but, because of inferior and sub-standard construction by previous government, the dam broke and even more floods hit Lower Sikkim with violence,” he said.

The Chief Minister also said “major damage” had been reported from across the state.

“Major damage in areas like the Chunthang Dam but do not know full extent because areas in Lower Sikkim are still cut-off. Roads have been washed out, bridges destroyed. 13 bridges over Teesta have been washed away,” Mr Tamang explained.

READ |A Decade Before Sikkim Flash Floods, There Were Warnings

He said his government is working with the centre to airlift relief and rescue teams but bad weather had hampered operations on Thursday. “Today weather has improved, so we will step up efforts.”

“First priority are 3,000 stranded tourists,” Mr Tamang said, “We will rescue them first.”

READ |19 Dead, 3,000 Stranded In Sikkim, Fresh Alert Issued: 10 Points

On rebuilding efforts, the Chief Minister said, “We will set up a team of technical experts and proceed based on their inputs. But, I have to tell you, this is a major disaster. It is major.”

Mr Tamang said he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and that they had offered all possible support. Shortly after the disaster the Prime Minister posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Spoke to Sikkim CM… Assured all possible support… pray for safety and well-being of all those affected.”

At least 19 people, including seven soldiers, died in the floods that ravaged Sikkim early Wednesday, sweeping away farms and villages. More than 100 people, including 15 Army personnel, are still missing. So far around 2,500 people have been evacuated and nearly 6,000 shifted to relief camps.

READ | ISRO’s Satellite Images Show How Sikkim’s Lhonak Lake Burst, Caused Floods

The Sikkim government has warned of another potential glacial lake outburst; Shako Cho Lake near Lachen is at risk and authorities have begun evacuating residents from surrounding areas.

READ |Mortar Shell Carried By Floodwaters Explodes In Bengal’s Jalpaiguri, 2 Dead

The government has also warned of “stray explosions” after the floods hit an Army ammunitions depot. Two people have already died after they were hit by explosives that were washed away.

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