Mumbai: Following flash flooding in the Teesta river caused by a cloudburst, 23 soldiers are missing in Sikkim. According to the Army, a thorough search has been conducted to find the missing servicemen.
Some enterprises along the Lachen valley, according to a statement by the Army’s Eastern Command, have been impacted.
” Release of water from the Chungthang dam causing an abrupt rise in flood levels of up to 15-20 feet high downstream. Army trucks stationed at Bardang near Singtam have been impacted as a result. 23 personnel have been reported missing and some vehicles are reported submerged under the slush. Search operations are underway,” the statement said.
It rained heavily all night long in Sikkim. Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim overflowed due to a cloudburst, which also raised the water levels in the Teesta River. Before entering Bangladesh, the Teesta river passes through Sikkim and West Bengal.
Residents of Sikkim are on a high warning from the local government. Videos taken and posted by locals show the river in flood and roads being washed away.
“Nobody has been injured but there has been significant damage to public property. Some people have also been reported missing in Singtam. Relief operations are on,” said Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang said during a visit to an affected area.
The India Meteorological Department has said Teesta is swollen after the lake in Sikkim’s Chungthang overflowed. “Low lying areas such as Gazoldoba, Domohani, Mekhaliganj and Ghish may be affected. Please be alert,” the weather office said.
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