Sikkim flash floods: 6 soldiers among 19 dead; chances of explosives, ammo washed away from Army camp
Sikkim flash floods: Six troops were among the 19 people killed in the Sikkim flash floods, according to reports. Over 100 people are missing, including 16 soldiers, and 3,000 tourists are stranded. The government also issued an advisory about the possibility of explosives and ammunition being washed away from an army camp as a result of the flash floods.
So far, over 2,500 individuals have been evacuated, and 6,000 have been relocated to relief camps. The state government has advised tourists not to visit Sikkim at this time.
After the floodwaters recede, the Power Ministry said it will conduct a full assessment of the damage to Sikkim's hydropower projects.
The state-owned hydropower company NHPC is making every effort to get the hydropower projects operational as soon as possible, according to the ministry, adding that they are constantly monitoring the situation caused by flash floods in the Teesta basin.
All of the bridges downstream to the Teesta-V hydropower station up to Tarkhola and Pamphok were submerged or swept away due to flash floods in the Teesta basin on the intervening night of October 3 and 4.
The power station is currently shut down and not producing electricity. NHPC has evacuated personnel from all of its projects on time and ensured that they are relocated to safer locations.
The Flash floods destroyed 11 bridges across the state, with eight of them washed away in the Mangan district alone. Two bridges in Namchi and one in Gangtok were destroyed. In four districts, water pipelines, sewage lines, and 277 kuchcha and concrete houses were destroyed.
- With inputs from agencies
