Sikkim Flood / Flood may occur again in Teesta river, danger not averted - more than 100 people still missing

Sikkim Flood: There is devastation after the sudden flood in Teesta river due to cloud burst over Lhonak Lake in Sikkim. So far, bodies of 19 people have been recovered in the disaster, while more than 100 people are missing. The army and NDRF team are busy searching for the missing people. Chief Secretary VB Pathak said that 19 bodies have been recovered so far in the tragedy of flash flood in Lhonak lake in North Sikkim early on Wednesday.

STORY | Sikkim flash flood: Toll rises to 18; searches on for 98 missing people

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Apart from this, the devastation in Sikkim has not stopped yet that the administration has once again issued a big alert. According to sources, the alert is for another glacial lake Shaku Chu. It is being told that on the basis of satellite data, it is believed that the lake may burst due to overflow of water. If this happens then the flood in Teesta will once again wreak havoc. Due to bad weather in Sikkim, all government and private schools, colleges and universities will remain closed till October 15.

Big updates till now

• Amidst the devastation caused by the sudden floods in Sikkim, the government has appealed to the people planning to go here to postpone their programs till the situation becomes normal. The state administration also requested the people stranded in flood-hit Mangan district not to panic as rescue will be started from Friday.
• Mamata government of neighboring state West Bengal said in a statement that four of the 18 bodies have been identified as soldiers. However, it is not clear whether they are the bodies of four of the 22 missing soldiers.
• Let us tell you that 26 injured people are admitted in different hospitals of Sikkim. Sikkim SSDMA said that since the disaster, 2,011 people have been rescued so far, while 22,034 people have been affected by it.
• Chief Secretary VB Pathak said he was informed by officials of the Army's 27th Mountain Division that the tourists stranded in Lachen, Lachung and surrounding areas in North Sikkim were safe. According to estimates, more than three thousand tourists, including foreign nationals, are stranded in different parts of Sikkim.
• VB Pathak said the army activated its telecommunication service and helped many tourists talk to their worried family members. He said that evacuation of stranded tourists is a priority and it has been decided to airlift them to Mangan from where they will be brought to Sikkim by road.
• The Chief Secretary said that if the weather is good then the tourists stranded in Lachen and Lachung will be evacuated today. He said that airport and army helicopters were ready to take off for Lachen, Lachung and Chungthang, but this could not happen due to bad weather. NDRF platoons are also ready to start the process of evacuating local people in North Sikkim.
• Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang visited Singtam, one of the affected areas, and took stock of the situation. He appealed to the people to remain alert and go to safe places. He also assured that the government is taking all necessary measures for their rehabilitation.
• The Chief Minister said that our rescue teams are working day and night. He appealed to the administration, local officials, all organizations and individuals to work together in the spirit of solidarity and cooperation.
• A cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim caused a flash flood in the Teesta River. The gushing flow of water from the Chungthang Dam destroyed power plants and flooded towns and villages in low-lying areas. Officials said that the Chief Minister has written a letter to the Prime Minister seeking cooperation.
• 11 bridges have been washed away in Sikkim due to floods. This includes eight bridges in Mangan district alone. At the same time, two bridges in Namchi and one in Gangtok were washed away. Water pipelines, sewer lines and 277 kutcha and pucca houses have been damaged in the four affected districts of the state.
• Chungthang city has suffered the most damage from the floods, with 80 percent of its area badly affected. Around 10,000 people have been affected in Mangan district, while 6,895 people have been affected in Pakyong, 2,579 in Namchi and 2,570 in Gangtok.