GUWAHATI: Flash floods triggered by a cloudburst over the Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim in the wee hours of Wednesday left at least 10 people dead and 81 others missing, including 22 soldiers.
A massive search is underway to locate the missing people. Earlier in the day, there were reports of 23 missing soldiers. One of them was subsequently rescued and is stable, a defence ministry statement said.
The flooded Teesta either damaged or washed away over a dozen important roads and bridges. North Sikkim remained cut off following the calamity. The Teesta flows through Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang and took stock of the situation. He assured all possible support.
After visiting some affected areas to assess the damage, Tamang told reporters that emergency services had been mobilised. He urged people to remain vigilant and refrain from unnecessary travel during this “critical time”.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed deep concern and solidarity. She urged people in North Bengal to maintain maximum vigil.
The flood situation turned worse when water was released from the Chungthang dam in the Mangan district.
In a statement, the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) said after the “Glacial Lake Outburst Flood” in parts of Lhonak Lake, the water level rose with very high velocities downstream along the Teesta basin and caused severe damage in Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi districts. It added that the Chungthang dam was also damaged.
A defence ministry statement said some army establishments along the Lachen valley had been affected.
The statement also said that as the Teesta water level suddenly increased by upto 15-20 feet downstream, it led to Army vehicles parked at Bardang near Singtam getting affected.
One of the 23 missing Army soldiers has been rescued and his condition is stable, a defence ministry statement said sharing the updates.
“All other Indian Army personnel posted in Sikkim and North Bengal are safe and they are unable to contact their family members due to disruptions of mobile communication,” said the statement.
“Twenty-three personnel have been reported missing and some vehicles are reported submerged under the slush. Search operations are underway,” it further said.
National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and Border Roads Organisation were among agencies deployed in the affected areas. Over 11,000 people have been affected. The authorities set up some relief camps.