Sikkim flash flood toll climbs to 30, search for 81 people continues

A seven-year-old boy died in north Bengal’s Jalpaiguri on Friday after a mortar shell that had washed away from an Army camp in the flood exploded.

Oct 7, 2023 - 21:30

Sikkim flash flood toll climbs to 30, search for 81 people continues

The toll from flash floods in Sikkim climbed to 30 after four more bodies were found on Saturday as search operations for the missing people continued, reported PTI.

Sixty-two people reported missing in the last three days have been found, said the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority. Now, 81 people remain missing, accoding to the the agency.

The floods triggered by a glacial lake outburst in northern Sikkim’s Lachen valley in the early hours of Wednesday have disrupted the lives of over 25,000 people, damaged more than 1,200 houses and washed away 13 bridges. Sikkim Chief Secretary VB Pathak said that the Lhonak Lake breached its embankment after heavy rains and discharged large volumes of water into the Teesta river, raising its levels.

The authorities have rescued 2,413 people and 6,875 people are taking shelter in 22 relief camps set up across the state, reported PTI. The floods have also washed away the state’s biggest hydropower project, Sikkim Urja, along with a 200-metre bridge leading to its powerhouse.

An inter-ministerial central team will visit the Sikkim on Sunday to assess the damage, Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra said.