Abhitesh
In Sikkim, a cloudburst over Lhonak Lake triggered a flash flood in the Teesta river basin, killing at least eighteen persons, including four military personnel. Officials report that more than 90 persons are still missing on Thursday, while the army and NDRF continue rescue operations for the second consecutive day.
Here are the latest updates from Sikkim:
- A day after the flash floods struck the northeastern state, officials report that 98 persons, including 22 army personnel, are missing. Although four corpses of military personnel have been recovered, it is still unclear whether they belong to the 22 missing soldiers. Meanwhile, 26 people have been injured and are being treated in facilities throughout Sikkim.
- To date, 2,011 individuals have been rescued. According to the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA), 22,034 individuals have been affected by the disaster, as reported by PTI.
- The Teesta River’s rapid floods caused a massive accumulation of water, which then turned toward the Chungthang dam and destroyed the power infrastructure before moving downstream.
- According to reports, approximately 10,000 people have been affected by the disaster in the Mangan district, 6,895 in Pakyong, 2,579 in Namchi, and 2,570 in Gangtok.
- The flood has devastated 11 bridges in the state – out of which eight have been washed away. PTI reported that water pipelines, sewage lines, and 277 wooden and concrete homes have been devastated in the four affected districts.
- Reports indicate that more than 3,000 tourists, including expatriates, are stranded in various regions of Sikkim. The evacuation of the stranded tourists has been deemed a top priority, and it has been determined to airlift them to Mangan; however, Thursday’s bad weather prevented this from occurring. “If the weather cooperates, tourists stranded in Lachen and Lachung will be evacuated beginning tomorrow,” a government official told PTI.
- The government of Sikkim has advised tourists to postpone travel until the situation normalizes. “Due to the unprecedented situation created by the Teesta river flooding, all tourists planning to visit Sikkim are advised to postpone their trip until the situation normalizes,” the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department advised.
- After the flood waters recede, the Centre will conduct a thorough assessment of the damage to Sikkim’s hydroelectric projects, the power ministry announced on Thursday. It was also stated that the state-owned NHPC is taking all feasible steps to expedite the hydropower projects’ implementation.
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- Earlier in the day, Sikkim’s chief minister Prem Singh Tamang visited one of the most severely afflicted regions, Singtam, to assess the situation. He also penned a letter to Prime Minister Modi requesting assistance, particularly in areas requiring immediate intervention, according to officials.
- According to a 2013 report from the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), the likelihood of Lhonak Lake overflowing its banks was 42%, as reported by Reuters. According to the report, the lake expanded from 17.54 hectares (43.34 acres) in 1977 to 98.73 hectares (243.97 acres) in 2008.
