Toll in Sikkim flash flood rises to 26, search on for 142 people still missing

GANGTOK: Twenty-six bodies, including those of seven Armymen, have been recovered so far from the slush and debris of the flash flood in the Teesta river that devastated Sikkim, while the search continued for the 142 people who are still missing, officials said on Friday night.

The flash flood, which was triggered by a cloudburst in the early hours of Wednesday, has affected over 25,000 people, damaged more than 1,200 houses, and washed away 13 bridges, bringing the picturesque Himalayan state to its knees.

So far, 2,413 people have been rescued from different areas and 6,875 people are taking shelter in 22 relief camps set up across the state, most of which has been cut off from the rest of the country.

Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh for the families of the deceased and an immediate relief of Rs 2,000 each for all those taking shelter in the camps.

"There have been damage worth thousands of crores of rupees. We cannot give exact details about the damage. It will be revealed once a committee is formed and completes its analysis. Our first priority is to save those who are stranded and provide them immediate relief," he told PTI Video.

"Road connectivity between the districts has been cut off and bridges have been washed away. Communication in North Sikkim has been severely affected," he added.

Of the 23 Army personnel who had gone missing from Bardang, the bodies of seven have been recovered from different areas downstream of Teesta, while one of them was rescued earlier.

The search for the remaining missing soldiers is continuing both in Sikkim and the northern parts of West Bengal through which the Teesta flows, the CM said.

At Bardang, Army vehicles have been dug out and stores were recovered, a defence statement said, adding that tracker dogs and special radars have been deployed for assistance in the search operations.

A total of 16 people, including seven Armymen, died in the Pakyong district, while six people died in Gangtok and four people lost their lives in the Mangan district, the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) said in its latest bulletin.

The chief minister said that he has spoken to PM Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, and some Union ministers, including Home Minister Amit Shah.

"They have assured me that all necessary assistance will be provided to the state," Tamang said.

Shah has approved the release of Rs 44.8 crore as an advance amount from the central share of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to provide relief to the affected people.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has also formed an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), which will visit the affected areas of Sikkim soon to make an assessment of the damage caused due to a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF), cloudburst, and flash floods, according to an official statement.

The flash flood in the Teesta River, triggered by a cloudburst in Lhonak Lake, 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.

The flood destroyed 13 bridges in the state, with eight bridges getting washed away in Mangan district alone. Three bridges were destroyed in Gangtok and two in Namchi.

Chungthang town bore the maximum brunt of the flood with 80 per cent of it getting severely affected. The NH-10, considered the lifeline of the state, sustained extensive damage at several places.

Surveys are being carried out by all agencies to assess the damage and plan restoration of road connectivity, the defence statement quoted earlier said, adding that the road link between Singtam and Bardang has been restored with the clearing of a single lane for vehicular traffic.

The chief minister also assured the evacuees of free medical treatment and logistical support up to Siliguri, the largest city in the region, for people who are from outside Sikkim and working here, if they wish to return home.

On the criticism from various quarters over the construction of hydel power projects in the fragile Himalayas, he blamed the "flawed and substandard" developmental models of the past governments.

He also slammed the opposition for indulging in politics over a natural calamity.

Meanwhile, around 3,000 tourists stuck in North Sikkim could not be rescued as multiple attempts by the Air Force to send Mi-17 helicopters failed due to inclement weather, senior officials said.

"The IAF made multiple attempts to carry out rescue and relief operations by Mi-17 helicopters, but the deployed helicopters were unable to fly from Bagdogra as well as Chaten due to the inclement weather, low-lying cloud cover and low visibility conditions in the valleys of Lachen and Lachung," an official said.

The aerial rescue operations are expected to resume early Saturday morning if the weather permits, he said.

Roads and Bridges Minister Samdup Lepcha and DIG (North & East districts) Tashi Wangyal Bhutia reached Chungthang via Dzongu along with other officials on foot to take stock of the situation.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that there are chances of light to moderate rain at most places in Mangan district over the next five days.

Lachen and Lachung are likely to remain cloudy during this period, it said.