GUWAHATI: Search for the missing Indian Army soldiers continued in Sikkim on Friday (October 06), with 22 of them yet to be traced.
Search for the missing Indian Army soldiers is now being focussed in the downstream in areas of the Teesta barrage in Sikkim.
At the site of the incident at Burdang near the Singtam area in Sikkim, the army vehicles have been dug out and stores recovered.
Additional resources in terms of teams of the Tiranga Mountain Rescue (TMR), tracker dogs, special radars have been brought in to assist in the search operations.
On the other hand, the Indian Army is providing assistance including food, medical aid and extending communication facility to civilians and tourists stranded in North Sikkim.
Also read: Sikkim flash floods: Army firearms & explosives washed away into Teesta River
The troops of Trishakti Corps of the Indian Army have been able to take account of 1471 tourists present the areas of Lachen, Chatten, Lachung and Chungthang in Sikkim.
With the weather improving, there is a likelihood of opportunity for evacuation of stranded tourists by helicopter which is being planned jointly by the Sikkim government, Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF).
Survey is being carried out by all agencies to assess the damage and plan restoration of road connectivity.
The road link between Singtam and Burdang in Sikkim has been restored with the clearing of a single lane for vehicular traffic.
Sikkim flash floods: Army firearms & explosives washed away into Teesta River
In a worrisome development, the Indian defence ministry has informed that certain “military equipment including firearms and explosives” were washed away by flood waters into Teesta River in Sikkim.
“Due to severe floods in Sikkim certain military equipment including firearms and explosives were carried away in Teesta River,” a defence spokesperson informed in a statement.
The defence ministry has also informed that the Jalpaiguri district police in West Bengal has issued an “urgent notice for public” in this regard.
Meanwhile, the “Army has established lookout teams all along the river downstream” to trace the missing military equipment, including firearms and explosives.
Meanwhile, the Sikkim government has issued an advisory in this regard urging people of the state not to come in contact with the ammunition.
“These ammunition should not be handled or picked up since they may explode and cause grievous injuries,” the advisory from Sikkim government stated.
It added: “On sight of such devices, it may be brought to the notice of the district collectors or the state emergency operations centre.”
Also read: Sikkim flash floods: State government asks tourists to ‘postpone their travel’
Death toll in the lake burst-induced flash floods in Sikkim has risen to 21.
This was informed by the Sikkim state disaster management authority (SDMA).
Moreover, 103 people are still reported to be missing.
Of the missing 103 people, 22 are Indian Army personnel.
One Army personnel was rescued on Wednesday (October 04) evening.
Also read: Indian Army soldier from Assam among missing personnel in flash floods-hit Sikkim
Search for missing soldiers is now being focussed in the areas downstream of Teesta River in Sikkim.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army has started three helpline numbers for families of missing people in Sikkim including its own soldiers.
The three Army helpline numbers started for families of the missing people are:
Army Helpline No for North Sikkim – 8750887741
Army Helpline for East Sikkim – 8756991895
Army Helpline for missing soldiers – 7588302011
Also read: Sikkim flash floods: Death toll mounts to 19, over 100 still missing
On the other hand, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has conducted an image-based study of the outburst of the Lhonak Lake in Sikkim.
Outburst of the Lhonak Lake on Wednesday (October 04) triggered a flash-floods in Sikkim, killing over a dozen people thus far.
In a statement, ISRO said, “It is observed that Lake is burst and about 105 hectares area has been drained out (28 September 2023 image versus 04 October 2023) which might have created a flash flood downstream.”
“ISRO will continue monitoring the lake further using the satellite data,” the ISRO statement added.
Heavy damages to life and property have been reported from across North Sikkim due to the flash floods.