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Sikmim: According to the latest informatiom released by the Sikkim government, 14 people have died so far and 102 people are still missing after Teesta River has been wreaked after a flash flood due to cloudburst and dam failure on Lhonak Lake. According to the data, 22,034 people in Sikkim have been affected due to this flood. At the same time, so far 2011 people have been saved.
One of the 23 army personnel who went missing on Wednesday was later rescued, officials said. He said that the flood situation in Sikkim which started at around 1.30 am has worsened due to release of water from Chungthang Dam.
Sikkim Chief Secretary VB Pathak said that more than 3,000 tourists from different parts of the country are reported to be stranded in different parts of the state. Pathak said that many workers working in Teesta Phase 3 dam in Chungthang are also trapped.
The Chief Secretary said that the road infrastructure has been extensively damaged due to floods as 14 bridges have collapsed, of which nine are under the Border Roads Organization (BRO) and five are under the State Government. It can be seen in the pictures and videos that dozens of bridges have been broken and roads have been closed. People are also facing various problems due to waterlogging in many residential areas. Apart from Sikkim, many areas of West Bengal have experienced flood-like conditions.
Another official said that around 166 people have been rescued so far, including an Army jawan. Officials said rescue workers recovered several bodies from the Teesta river flood area at Golitaar in Singtam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Sikkim Chief Minister PS Tamang and reviewed the situation due to flash floods in the state. The Prime Minister also assured the state government of all possible help. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also prayed for the safety of the missing army personnel.
The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajeev Gauba, has reviewed the situation in Sikkim and emphasized the evacuation of tourists and people trapped in the tunnels. Rajiv Gauba said that additional teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) should be deployed and road, telecom and power supply should be restored as soon as possible. NDRF has already deployed three teams and additional teams are ready in Guwahati and Patna. The Sikkim government has declared it a calamity in a notification. A defense spokesperson said that the water level in the lake suddenly rose by 15 to 20 feet due to the release of water from the Chungthang dam.
According to the Central Water Commission (CWC), the water level of River Teesta was below the danger mark at 1 pm on Wednesday and there is no flood situation around it. The CWC said that the water level of the Teesta at three places – Melli, Singtam and Rohtak – is below the danger mark but has become close to it. Rajeev Bhattacharya (25), a tourist from Kolkata who went for trekking from Gangtok to Singtam, said, ‘We saw a huge wave of water coming at a high speed in the valley. Fortunately, my friend and I were on higher ground and were not affected by the flash flood. Now we are going back to Gangtok.’
Many towns including Dikchu, Singtam and Rangpo located in the Teesta River Valley region have also been flooded due to the surge in the river. The education department said in a circular that all schools located in Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi districts will remain closed till October 8. Officials said some parts of National Highway-10, the main link between Sikkim and the rest of the country, were swept away. He said that a flood warning has been issued for North Bengal and Bangladesh, where Teesta river flows.
Officials said that two other bridges have collapsed due to surge in Teesta near Lainco hydel power project. He said that the administration has set up several relief camps where hundreds of people have taken shelter. The Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) said that cloudburst over parts of Lhonak Lake caused a sudden rise in the water level in the lake on the Teesta river valley, damaging several installations in Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi districts. Chief Minister Tamang visited Singtam to assess the damage caused by flash floods in the Teesta river valley.
Sikkim flash floods: 14 people dead, 102 missing, missing Armyman rescued
