Flash floods in Sikkim wash away roads, bridges, 23 Army jawans missing
Sikkim ,Octo 4: A flash flood in the river Teesta in Sikkim’s Lachen valley on Tuesday night has left 23 Army personnel missing, officials said.
The flood was caused by a sudden cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim, which led to a sudden increase in water levels in the Teesta. The release of water from the Chungthang dam further exacerbated the situation, causing the water level to rise up to 15-20 feet high downstream.
Army vehicles parked at Bardang near Singtam were swept away by the raging floodwaters. Search operations are underway to locate the missing personnel.
The flash flood has also caused damage to several Army establishments along the Lachen valley. Efforts are on to assess the full extent of the damage.
The Singtham foot bridge over river Teesta collapsed due to the overflowing river. Several sections of National Highway 10, which connects West Bengal to Sikkim, were washed away. Many roads were blocked or unserviceable in the wake of the flash flood.
The Sikkim government has sounded a high alert in the state and has asked people to stay away from the river Teesta. The Jalpaiguri administration in West Bengal has started evacuating people from the lower catchment area of the river as a precautionary measure.
Earlier in June this year, the North Sikkim district experienced a devastating flash flood due to heavy monsoon rains. The flood was particularly severe in the Pegong area, leading to the complete closure of NH10 and causing significant damage to infrastructure along the highway, rendering it unsafe for any vehicular movement. The overflow of nearby rivers due to the intense rainfall resulted in areas such as Lachen and Lachung being cut off from the rest of the state.
The flash flooding left approximately 2,400 tourists stranded in the region, and the Army was called in for rescue operations.
-The India Today
