Sikkim flood: 27 dead, search continues for 143 missing persons
The death toll in the Sikkim flash floods, triggered by a cloudburst in the early hours of Wednesday, reportedly increased to 27, including seven army personnel. While a total of 143 individuals have gone missing since the floods hit the northeastern state, authorities fear that the actual number of deaths in the disaster might be way higher than earlier estimated.
Over 2,000 people have been rescued so far
News agency PTI reported that the Indian Army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have rescued 2,413 individuals from different parts of the hilly state, with 6,875 people taking shelter in 22 relief camps across Sikkim. Of the 23 Army personnel that went missing in the Bardang area on Wednesday, seven bodies have been recovered from different areas of the Teesta River, while one had been rescued earlier.
CM announces compensation for Sikkim flash flood victims
Meanwhile, state Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 4 lakh for the families of those who died in the Sikkim flash floods. "There have been damages worth thousands of crores of rupees. We cannot give exact details about damages; it will be revealed once a committee is formed and it completes its analysis," the Sikkim CM told PTI.
Centre assures aid to Sikkim
Tamang also confirmed that the central government has assured support for Sikkim during these hard times, according to the Hindustan Times. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has authorized the release of Rs. 44.8 crore as an advance amount to Sikkim from the Central share of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has also formed an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), which will shortly visit the affected areas of Sikkim to examine the damage.
Bad weather hinders rescue operations in Sikkim: Report
On the other hand, bad weather conditions were reportedly hampering the ongoing reach and rescue efforts in the worst-hit areas of the Sikkim flash floods on Friday. As a result, sources close to the development revealed that the Army and NDRF personnel are allegedly having to trek and even use boats to conduct their reach operations in the ravaged hillside villages of the state.
IMD predicts more rain in some parts of Sikkim
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted light to moderate rain in most areas of Sikkim's Mangan district over the next five days. It added that Lachen and Lachung are expected to remain cloudy during this time. A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) triggered by heavy rain hit the Chungthang dam at 1:30am on Wednesday. It destroyed the structure and sent the water barreling downhill, burying villages and towns under mud and rocks.
