Sikkim Chief Minister Urges Public To ‘Remain Vigilant’ Amidst The Disastrous Conditions In The State

A cloudburst over the Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim led it to overflow, resulting in flash floods in the Teesta river, killing up to 10 civilians and leaving 82 persons, including 22 Army men, missing. 14 bridges, according to a government official, have collapsed, and it’s possible that over 3,000 tourists are trapped across the state. Amidst the flash flood conditions in the state, the CM of Sikkim has asked people to remain vigilant and alert.

The state’s largest hydropower facility, Chungthang, which saw a cloudburst early on Wednesday, saw pieces of its dam being swept away by the churning waters, aggravating the flooding downstream. According to the Disaster Management Act, the Sikkim government has classified the catastrophe a disaster.

The Army provided a reassuring update on Wednesday evening amid the gloom and despair when it revealed that one of the 23 soldiers who had gone missing from Bardang near Singtam town had been found and is in stable condition.

Death and destruction still counting

A senior government official in Sikkim revealed that 82 people are still missing and that 10 people, all of whom were civilians, died.  “As many as 14 bridges – nine under the Border Roads Organisation and five under the State government – suffered extensive damage and collapsed. Over 3,000 tourists are feared stranded,” said the official.

There are still about 14 workmen trapped in the tunnels who were working on Chungthang’s Teesta Stage 3 dam, some of which was carried away.  Rangpo in Pakyong district, Dikchu and Singtam in Gangtok district, and Chungthang in Mangan district have all reported injuries and missing people. The source stated that around 25 persons had been taken by ambulance to various hospitals.

Due to fiber cable lines being broken by the flash floods in Sangkalan and Toong in the Mangan district, mobile networks and broadband services have been affected in Chungthang and most of North Sikkim. In Chungthang, the police station was also demolished.

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Rescue operations going on…

“Troops of Trishakti Corps of the Indian Army launched a massive search-and-rescue operation to trace the 23 missing soldiers. The search operations are being undertaken under conditions of incessant rains and fast-flowing water in the Teesta River with the roads and bridges washed away at many places. By evening, one soldier had been rescued and the search operation for the other 22 personnel continues,” an Army official said.

According to the Army, all other Indian Army soldiers stationed in Sikkim and North Bengal are safe and unable to reach their family members due to disturbances in mobile connectivity. The Army also claimed that family members of the missing persons have been called and told of the situation.

Here’s what Sikkim CM said about flood

Prem Singh Tamang, the chief minister of Sikkim, declared that he had visited Singtam to assess the situation and encouraged everyone in the state to exercise caution.

“We are all aware of the recent natural calamity that has struck our state. Emergency services have been mobilized to the affected areas, and I personally visited Singtam to assess the damages and engage with the local community,” Mr Tamang posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Tweet

“I humbly urge all our citizens to remain vigilant and refrain from unnecessary travel during this critical time. It is essential that we maintain composure and hope for a swift return to normalcy in our region,” the chief minister added.