Sikkim flash floods: 14 dead, over 100 missing; 3,000 tourists stranded
The death toll in Sikkim flash floods has risen to 14 while more than 100 people are missing, the state government confirmed Thursday.
22 army personnel are also among the 102 missing people while 26 remain injured and are seeking treatment following the disaster, triggered by cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim.
While the emergency services were mobilised to the affected areas, chief minister Prem Singh Tamang has advised the public to refrain from unnecessary travel at the moment. Meanwhile, the Sikkim government has also issued helpline numbers for assistance.
In a post shared on X, the government urged the citizens to contact the following helpline numbers for any assistance:
03592-202892 – Landline; 03592-221152 – Landline; 8001763383 – Mobile; 03592-202042 – Fax; or call ‘112’ for emergency assistance.
Top updates on Sikkim flash floods:
1)The Indian Army has also started three helplines for families of missing people in Sikkim including its own soldiers. For assistance in North Sikkim, people may dial 8750887741; for East Sikkim – 8756991895 and the helpline number for enquiries related to the 22 missing soldiers is 7588302011.
2)Some officials on the ground indicated the toll had already hit 40, however reports are being ascertained to identify the exact toll. Among the individuals who are missing or injured in the aftermath of the disaster, scores of residents belong to Chungthang in Mangan district, as well as from Dikchu and Singtam in Gangtok district, and Rangpo in Pakyong district.
3)After reviewing the situation, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba directed Wednesday that the evacuation of people stranded in the tunnel of Chungthang dam and tourists may be taken up on a priority basis. More than 3,000 tourists from various parts of the country are stranded in the state due to the ongoing disaster, Sikkim Chief Secretary V B Pathak said.
4)The intense rainfall has caused extensive damage, with over 150 houses in the Industrial Belt (IBM) at Rangpo, located along the banks of the river Teesta, being affected. The State government has set up 18 relief camps in Singtam, Rangpo, Dikchu and Adarsh Gaon which have faced most of the damages. In Chungthang, the relief camps are being set up by the Indian Army due to the lack of connectivity.
5)As per the government, a total of 14 bridges have collapsed in the incident. Among these, nine were managed by the Border Roads Organization (BRO), while the remaining five were the responsibility of the state government. The National Highway-10, which connects Gangtok to Siliguri, has been entirely washed away near the Likhuvir-Setijhora stretch. Once the water levels in the Teesta River subside, urgent repair work will be carried out.
6)The disaster has also put a fresh spotlight on Lhonak Lake. Documents seen by Hindustan Times show that for the past decade multiple agencies and expeditions red-flagged the vulnerability of Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim to a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). The reports flagged affected townships such as Chungthang, Dikchu, Singtam, Rangpo as being most vulnerable to the disaster.