Flash Flood Hits Northeast India, 19 People Died And 103 People Still Missing

Illustration. (Photo via Antara)

JAKARTA - Flash floods that hit the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim have killed 19 people. As of the third day, Friday, October 6, 103 people were still missing.

Search and rescue efforts continue to be carried out to find people who are still declared missing due to overflowing water from the Teesta River. This was conveyed by the Chief Secretary of Sikkim Vijay Bhushan Pathak.

"The search operation is ongoing," said Pathak as quoted by Anadolu via Antara.

India's National Disaster Management Authority said on Wednesday that overflowing floods had damaged a number of infrastructure projects, including the Chungthang Dam, upstream of the river valley.

"While scientists are investigating the exact cause of the flash flood. The main reason for the sudden flash flood seems to be due to the combination of excessive rainfall and the GLOF (Flood flood from Glacial Lake) incident in South Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim," they said.

The disaster management authority of Sikkim said 26 people were injured and more than 2,000 others were evacuated.

In the neighboring state of West Bengal, authorities in Jalpaijuri District told Anadolu that they found 25 bodies that were swept away by flash floods.

"Of the 25 people, four of them are soldiers," said a senior official, who asked Anadolu not to be named by telephone.

Police in Jalpariguri District also issued warnings urging vigilance considering flash floods also dragged a number of military equipment, including firearms and explosives, into the Teesta River.

The Indian Army also said that they formed a downstream reconnaissance team.

Previously, West Bengal State Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said "all measures" had been taken to evacuate people in Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Jalpaijuri Districts to safer areas.

Chief Minister of Sikkim Prem Singh Tamang told Indian news broadcaster NDTV that "big enough damage" had been reported across the state. He said the authority's top priority was to save the 3.000 stranded tourists.

A Ministry of Defense spokesman said on Friday that the search for missing soldiers continued with a focus on downstream areas.

"At the scene of the incident in Burdang near Singtam, army vehicles are being excavated to be lifted out and several places are being restored," Lieutenant Colonel Mahendra Rawat said in a statement.

"An additional source of power in the form of a TMR (Tiranga Mountain Rescue) team, sniffer dogs, special radars have also been deployed to assist search operations," he said further.

On Wednesday, the army said 23 personnel were missing while one person was rescued that night.