Sikkim floods : 14 dead, Over 100 Missing ,3000 tourists stranded

In a tragic turn of events, flash floods in Sikkim have claimed the lives of 14 individuals, with over 100 people reported missing, including 23 army personnel out of which one is rescued. The disaster was triggered by a cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim, causing widespread devastation in the region.

The Indian Army has launched helplines to assist families searching for their missing loved ones in Sikkim. The situation is dire for residents of Chungthang in Mangan district, as well as those from Dikchu, Singtam in Gangtok district, and Rangpo in Pakyong district.

Additionally, more than 3,000 tourists are stranded in the state due to the ongoing disaster. The damage is extensive, with over 150 houses in the Industrial Belt (IBM) at Rangpo affected, and a total of 14 bridges have collapsed.

Urgent repair work is planned for the National Highway-10, which connects Gangtok to Siliguri, once the water levels in the Teesta River subside. This catastrophe has also shed light on the vulnerability of Lhonak Lake, with reports over the past decade warning of its potential to cause glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in areas such as Chungthang, Dikchu, Singtam, and Rangpo.