Toll rises to 33 in Sikkim flash flood, search on for those still missing

Gangtok/Jalpaiguri: Thirty-three bodies, including those of nine Armymen, have been recovered so far from the slush and debris of the flash flood in Teesta river that devastated Sikkim, while the search continued for the over 105 people who are still missing, officials said on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Jalpaiguri district administration in West Bengal has said they have so far recovered 40 bodies from the downstream of the Teesta river. Officials said 10 bodies have so far been identified.

Since bodies are still being found from the slush and debris left behind by the river in both the states, the exact casualty count will be clear in the next few days after collating the details, officials said.

The flash flood, which was triggered by a cloudburst in the early hours of Wednesday, has affected 60,870 people. So far, 2,563 people have been rescued from different areas of the state, most of which have been cut off from the rest of the country, according to the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA).

Search was underway for 105 people who are still missing. Sixty-three people are missing in Pakyong district, 20 in Gangtok district, 16 in Mangan and six in Namchi, it said.

Special radars, drones and Army dogs have been deployed for the search operations, officials said.

So far, 21 bodies have been recovered in Pakyong, six in Gangtok, four in Mangan and two in Namchi, they said.

National Highway 10, the lifeline of Sikkim, has been rendered unusable due to damage to the road surface and many bridges across the Teesta river. The opening and widening process of the stretch between Rangpo and Singtam is in progress, they added.

Alternative routes to the state capital Gangtok are open via the East Sikkim district. However, in North Sikkim, roads beyond Mangan are cut off, officials said.

The ITBP said that 56 people were rescued in North Sikkim's Chungthang, one of the worst affected areas in the flash flood. Among those rescued were 52 men and four women.

A total of 6,705 people have taken shelter in 30 relief camps set up across the state, most of which have been cut off from the rest of the country.

The disaster also damaged more than 1655 houses and washed away 14 bridges in the four districts of the picturesque Himalayan state.