English
New Delhi: Soldiers of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on Friday rescued at least 68 stranded people in flash-floods hit northern Sikkim. ‘Himveers’ of ITBP rescue team evacuated all 68 persons stuck in the region due to the flash-floods.
A video shared by ITBP on its official handle on social media platform ‘X’ (former Twitter), showed the ITBP ‘Himveers’ evacuating the stranded civilians.
“In the recent flash flood, 68 persons were stranded at the height of 16000 feet, totally cut off for the last 3 days in North Sikkim. Himveers of ITBP rescue team, launched a massive rescue operation and evacuated all the 68 persons safely,” ITBP said in a post on X, while also attaching a short clip of the rescue operation.
In the recent flash flood, 68 persons were stranded at the height of 16000 feet, totally cut off for the last 3 days in North Sikkim. #Himveers of ITBP rescue team, launched a massive rescue operation and evacuated all the 68 persons safely. #Himveers#ITBP pic.twitter.com/sKxvRpIsWa
— ITBP (@ITBP_official) October 6, 2023
According to Sikkim Chief secretary, as many as 3,000 people including tourists, drivers and motorcyclists have been stranded in Lachen and Lachung areas after a glacial lake situated in the northwest state burst due to incessant rains and triggered flash floods in the region on October 4.
Due to the Glacial lake outburst flood and flash floods, there was a sudden surge in flows in the Teesta River, which washed away several bridges, parts of NH-10, the Chungthang Dam and has impacted several small towns and several infrastructure projects in the upper reaches of the river valley in Sikkim.
The State Disaster Management Authority informed that at least 19 people have died in the flash floods in Sikkim.
Indian Army is providing assistance in terms of food, medical aid and extending communication facility to civilians and tourists stranded in North Sikkim.
The Sikkim government has set up 18 relief camps in Singtam, Rangpo, Dikchu and Adarsh Gaon which have faced most of the damages. However, due to a lack of connectivity with Chungthang, the relief camps there are being set up by the Indian Army and other paramilitaries.
Meanwhile, the official death toll in the flash flood surged to 27 on Saturday even as search operations continued for the 141 people who are still missing, an official report said.
Twenty-seven people including eight Army men were killed in the flash flood, which was triggered by a cloudburst in the early hours of Wednesday and affected over 25,000 people, damaged more than 1,200 houses and washed away 13 bridges in the picturesque Himalayan state, said the report by the Secretary-cum State Relief Commissioner, Land Revenue and Disaster Management Department on Saturday.
(With inputs from agencies)
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