Sikkim Flash Flood: 9 Army Men Found Dead As Toll Rises To 32, Search On For Over 100 Missing — Updates

The aftermath of a devastating flash flood in Sikkim has left over 100 people still missing with officials confirming that 32 bodies have been recovered so far including nine Army personnel.

File Photo: A vehicle is seen partially submerged in water after flash floods triggered by a sudden heavy rainfall swamped the Rangpo town in Sikkim, India, Thursday, Oct.5. 2023. The flooding took place along the Teesta River in the Lachen Valley of the north-eastern state, and was worsened when parts of a dam were washed away.

Source : PTI

The aftermath of a devastating flash flood in Sikkim has left a trail of tragedy and ongoing rescue efforts, with officials confirming that 32 bodies have been recovered so far, including nine Army personnel. The disaster, triggered by a cloudburst in the early hours of Wednesday, has left over 100 people still missing. As of Sunday, the flash flood has affected 41,870 people in the region, according to the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA), news agency PTI reported.

The SSDMA officials informed that 2,563 people have been successfully rescued from various areas in the state, many of which have been isolated from the rest of the country due to the disaster.

• The search operation remains in progress, focusing on locating the 122 people who are still unaccounted for. The highest number of missing individuals, 78 in total, is reported in Pakyong district, with 23 in Gangtok district, 15 in Mangan, and six in Namchi, as stated by officials.
  
  
• In the intensive search and rescue effort, special radars, drones, and trained Army dogs have been deployed to locate survivors and the missing. The recovery of bodies so far includes 21 in Pakyong, six in Gangtok, four in Mangan, and one in Namchi.
  
  
• The vital National Highway 10, often referred to as the lifeline of Sikkim, has suffered extensive damage to the road surface and numerous bridges spanning the Teesta river, rendering it unusable. Authorities are actively engaged in the reopening and widening of the road section between Rangpo and Singtam, as per PTI's report.
  
  
• Alternative routes to the state capital, Gangtok, via the East Sikkim district, are open, while areas beyond Mangan in North Sikkim remain cut off, as informed by officials cited by PTI.
  
  
• The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) reported that 56 individuals, including 52 men and four women, were successfully rescued in North Sikkim's Chungthang, one of the areas hardest hit by the flash flood.
  
  
• Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed the loss of an Indian Army personnel from the state, Mitul Kalita, who had gone missing during the flash flood. "A tragic loss for Assam as it loses a braveheart in Mitul Kalita of Indian Army, from Baksa District, in the unfortunate flash flood in Sikkim," he wrote.
  

As previously mentioned, the Sikkim flash flood has claimed the lives of nine army personnel and continues to test the resilience and response efforts of the region. In response to the crisis, 30 relief camps have been established across the state, offering shelter to a total of 6,875 individuals.

The disaster has also caused extensive damage, resulting in over 1,320 houses being destroyed and 13 bridges being washed away in four districts of the picturesque Himalayan state.

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