Sikkim Flood: Eight people died and 49 people, including 23 army personnel, went missing after a cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim caused flash floods in the Teesta river. Officials gave this information on Wednesday. He told that three people were washed away in North Bengal. Officials said the situation worsened due to the release of water from the Chungthang Dam. The flood occurred around 1.30 am on Tuesday. Gangtok Deputy District Magistrate (SDM) Mahendra Chhetri said, five bodies have been recovered from Golitar and Singtam areas.
49 people including 23 army personnel missing
Another official said that apart from 23 army personnel, 26 civilians are also missing due to the flood, while 45 people were rescued, including 18 injured. “A steel bridge at Singtam, 30 km from state capital Gangtok, was completely washed away in the waters of Teesta river in the early hours of Wednesday,” an official said. This bridge is also known as Indreni Bridge. The Sikkim government has declared it a disaster in a notification. Defense spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mahendra Rawat said that due to the release of water from Chungthang Dam, the water level in the lake suddenly increased by 15 to 20 feet. He said, “23 army personnel are reported missing and 41 vehicles are stuck in the mud.”
Flood in many towns also
The spokesperson said that due to communication breakdown, the missing personnel have not been identified yet. Kolkata tourist Rajeev Bhattacharya, who went for trekking from Gangtok towards Singtam, told about the incident that we saw a huge wave of water coming at a high speed in the valley. Due to the surge in the river, many towns including Dikchu, Singtam and Rangpo located in the Teesta river valley region have also been flooded. The Education Department said in a circular that all schools located in Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi districts will remain closed till October 8.
Flood warning for North Bengal and Bangladesh
Parts of National Highway 10, the main link between Sikkim and the rest of the country, were washed away, officials said, adding that flood warnings have been issued for north Bengal and Bangladesh, where the Teesta flows. Police officials from neighboring West Bengal said two youths – Swarndweep Majumdar and Shrikant Majumdar from Raiganj district and Ishaan from Jharkhand – went missing in Sikkim on Wednesday. He told that all three had left for Sikkim on a motorcycle on Saturday for holidays. Officials said that two other bridges have collapsed due to the surge in Teesta near Lanco Hydel power project. He said that the administration has set up several relief camps, where hundreds of people have taken shelter.