Sikkim Flash Floods: 10 Dead, 22 Armymen Among 82 Missing; PM Assures Support | Top Points

A cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim triggered a flash flood in the Teesta River basin on Wednesday, claiming at least ten lives while 82 others, including 22 army personnel went missing.

The flood in Sikkim that started around 1.30 am was made worse by the release of water from Chungthang dam, officials said. A steel bridge at Singtam, known as Indreni bridge, 30 km from the state capital Gangtok has been completely washed away by Teesta river water early Wednesday.

“Five bodies have been recovered from Golitar and Singtam region,” Gangtok Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Mahendra Chettri said.

Three of the dead were washed up in north Bengal, officials said.

Another official said besides army personnel, 26 civilians were also missing, while 45 people were rescued, including 18 injured.

Here Are Latest Updates in Sikkim Flash Floods:

• One out of the 23 Army personnel missing has been rescued. His condition is stable and is under medical care, the Army said.
• 23 Army personnel went missing and 41 vehicles submerged under the slush, defence spokesperson Lt Col Mahendra Rawat said.
• The spokesperson said the identity of the missing personnel is yet to be ascertained due to a breakdown in communication.
• NDRF deployed 6 teams in South Bengal, 3 in North Bengal and one in Sikkim.
• The Sikkim government said the natural calamity has been declared as a disaster.
• The release of water from the Chungthang dam led to a sudden increase in water levels up to 15-20 feet high downstream, the defence spokesperson
• The Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority stated that a “cloudburst in portions of Lhonak Lake, which caused the rise of water levels with very high velocities downstream along the Teesta River basin in the early hours of Wednesday” damaged many establishments in Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong, and Namchi.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Sikkim CM Tamang and took stock of the situation. Taking to X, PM Modi wrote, “Spoke to Sikkim CM Shri @PSTamangGolay and took stock of the situation in the wake of the unfortunate natural calamity in parts of the state. Assured all possible support in addressing the challenge. I pray for the safety and well-being of all those affected.”
• Chief Minister P S Tamang visited Singtam and took stock of the situation. He also held a meeting with senior officials at the Singtam Nagar Panchayat office and asked them to keep vigil.
• The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, reviewed the situation in Sikkim. The Chief Secretary, Sikkim joined the meeting through video conferencing and apprised the Committee about the latest situation in the state. He also briefed the committee about the efforts of the State government in carrying out relief and rescue measures.
• The National Disaster Management Authority said the primary reason for the sudden surge appears to be a likely combination of excess rainfall and a GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood) event at South Lhonak lake in North Sikkim.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh prayed for the well-being of the army personnel and described the glacial lake burst at Lonak in Sikkim as “deeply heart-wrenching”. “The Glacial Lake Burst at Lonak, Sikkim is deeply heart-wrenching. Relief and rescue operations in the midst of extremely bad weather are in progress. Praying for the well-being of those army personnel, who are missing due to this tragedy,” Singh said in a post on X.
• All schools located in Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi districts will remain closed till October 8.
• Parts of National Highway-10, the main link between Sikkim and the rest of the country, were washed away, officials said.
• A flood alert has been issued for North Bengal and Bangladesh through which the Teesta flows.
• The administration has set up a number of relief camps, where hundreds are taking shelter.
• The National Remote Sensing Centre, one of the ISRO centres, has conducted a satellite-based study on the outburst of the South Lhonak lake in Sikkim by obtaining temporal satellite images (before & after) over the water body. “It is observed that Lake is Burst and about 105 hectares area has been drained out (28 September 2023 image versus 04 October 2023) which might have created a flash flood downstream,” an ISRO statement said.

(With PTI inputs)