62 people, who were reported missing in flood-hit Sikkim, were found alive on Saturday (7th October). While four bodies were also recovered taking the death toll to 30. Four of the 30 fatalities occurred in Mangan, six in Gangtok district, 19 in Pakyong, and one in Namchi.
According to the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority, the number of missing people has been lowered to 81. An inter-ministerial team of the Centre is likely to visit the state on Sunday (8th October) and assess the situation there and provide necessary assistance. This team will include five ministries namely Agriculture, Road Transport & Highways, Jal Shakti, Energy and Finance.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced that the dead bodies of eight Army troops who went missing during the flash floods have been discovered.
Taking to X on Saturday, Minister Singh said that he was pained by the loss of precious lives, including eight Army personnel in the flash floods.
“Deeply pained by the tragic loss of precious lives including eight Army personnel in the recent flash floods arising out of glacial lake burst in Sikkim. Out of the 23 missing soldiers, one was rescued while mortal remains of eight brave soldiers were recovered. Their sacrifice, while being deployed in forward areas in the service of the nation, will not be forgotten. Search operations to rescue remaining 14 soldiers and missing civilians are underway,” Singh posted.
Deeply pained by the tragic loss of precious lives including eight Army personnel in the recent flash floods arising out of glacial lake burst in Sikkim.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) October 7, 2023
Out of the 23 missing soldiers, one was rescued while mortal remains of eight brave soldiers were recovered. Their…
The Centre has approved an allocation of Rs 44.8 crore from the central share of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to Sikkim in order to provide relief to those impacted by flash floods.
On Saturday, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang visited disaster-affected districts in north Sikkim. He also presided over a meeting with the Zilla and ward members of the Toong Naga Gram Panchayat Unit, as well as representatives from GREF, BRO, and other departments. During the meeting, it was decided to construct an expedient route for the transportation of relief items by road.
Currently, 2,563 people have been rescued from various locations, and 6,875 have sought refuge in 30 relief camps established across the state, most of which have been cut off from the rest of the country.
In the four districts of Sikkim, the flood also damaged around 1,320 homes and washed away 13 bridges. According to the authorities, over 3,000 tourists were stranded in Lachen and Lachung in Sikkim’s Mangan district when a flash flood devastated the area. The authorities added that the tourists are safe now.
