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Sikkim continues to face rain fury, rescue operations pick up
On Sunday morning, the army rescued 300 tourists from places such as Lachen and Lachung, taking the number of tourists evacuated since Saturday to 2,413.
Multiple landslides and flash floods induced by heavy rainfall hit normal life in several parts of Sikkim, with the army rescuing 300 more tourists stranded in the northeastern state on Sunday, officials said, adding that many remote villages remained inaccessible following three days of heavy rain.
Also Read | Over 2,000 tourists stranded in North Sikkim as heavy rain triggers landslides
Sikkim has been receiving heavy rainfall since the arrival of monsoon on June 12, state government officials said, adding that heavy rains lashed North Sikkim on Friday. On Sunday morning, the army rescued 300 tourists from places such as Lachen and Lachung, taking the number of tourists evacuated since Saturday to 2,413, said officials. “All 300 tourists were assisted to cross the temporary bridge for further movement towards Gangtok,” the army said in a statement. The road connecting Dentam to Pelling and Gyalshing was inundated because of flood in the Kalaz river, said officials aware of the matter, adding that the floodwater damaged several houses.
Also Read | Heavy rains trigger flash flood in North Sikkim, submerge NH 10 at Pegong
As per Sikkim police, in West Sikkim, the road connecting Uttarey to Sopakha was inundated at several locations, while two bridges were washed away. The flood damaged a trout farm and a poultry farm. A house was also damaged at Sombaria in West Sikkim and the occupants had to be evacuated, Sikkim police said in a statement.
Flood in the Ramam river damaged all the wooden bridges that connect Sikkim to West Bengal, said official, adding that damage was also reported at NTPC Salangdang, where temporary sheds put up at the project site and some machines were washed away in the river.
“All stranded tourists have been evacuated. It would take some time to repair the bridge over Supply Khola near Chungthang,” said Hem Kumar Chettri, district collector of Mangan district in North Sikkim, adding that many villages in the area are cut off.
In Darjeeling’s Pulbazar community block, two remote villages, Gorkhey and Samanden, were cut off from other areas as a wooden bridge over Gorkhey rivulet got washed away, said an official. “We are trying to relocate around 15 families to safer places as their houses in Gorkhey are damaged,” said S Poonambalam, Darjeeling’s district magistrate.
“We are assessing the situation as reports are coming in,” Kalimpong district magistrate R Vimala said. “But so far there is no report of any major damage.”
