Death toll rises rises to 19, six army rescued, over 100 still missing in Sikkim’s cloudburst tragedy

Gangtok : The death toll in Sikkim flash floods has climbed to 19, including six soldiers of the Indian Army, and over 100 people remained missing after a cloudburst over the Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim triggering flash flood in the Teesta River in Lachen Valley, an official said on Thursday.
A Sikkim government official expects the death toll to climb amid desperate search and rescue operations.
The Sikkim government has declared the calamity a Disaster Management Act.
The government has declared holiday to all government schools
and private colleges located under Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi districts will remain closed from tomorrow till further notice.
Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang Golay chaired a high level meeting to assess the present situation with regard to the disaster, and discussed further preventive and supportive action.
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary VB Pathak, Director General of Police Amrendra Kumar Singh and senior government officials.
The Chief Minister urged the officers to work in coordination and devise a systematic mechanism for rescue, relief, rehabilitation and restoration.
Electricity and water supply lines in Pakyong, Singtam, and Dikchu to be restored immediately.
Pathak briefed the meeting about the steps being taken by the State government in active coordination with the Army and all concerned agencies to undertake relief, rehabilitation and restoration works in all the affected areas.
Apart from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Border Roads Organisation, and Sikkim civil administration are continuing with their search and rescue operations.
Moreover, search and rescue operation by troops of Trishakti Corps, Indian Army have been intensified to trace the missing soldiers continues.
“The search for the missing persons is now focussing in the areas downstream of Teesta River. Continued efforts are on to dig out the vehicles submerged under the slush at Burdang near Singtam,” a defence official said.