Sikkim floods: 55 people killed, 141 still missing; rescue work on. Top updates

Sikkim flash floods: According to the Indian Army, 14 soldiers are missing, and the search and rescue operations are still underway.

At least 55 people, including eight Indian Army personnel, have been killed and over 140 are still missing after a cloudburst over Lhonak Lake triggered a flash flood in the Teesta river basin in Sikkim. According to the Army, 14 soldiers are missing, and the search and rescue operations are still underway.

Remains of the bridge connecting Adarsh gaon with Singtam along the bank of Teesta River at Singtam in Sikkim(REUTERS)

Top updates on Sikkim flash floods:

1. According to the latest information, the death toll has jumped to 55 – as 27 bodies have been recovered from Sikkim and the rest from the basin of the Teesta River in West Bengal.
2. The Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) said that around 2,413 people have been rescued, and 1,203 houses have been damaged in the flash floods. It added that about 25,065 people have been disaster-affected so far and 6,875 people have been shifted to relief camps. Several bridges and roads have also been damaged.
3. Minister of state for home affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra on Sunday morning held a meeting with Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang at the latter's residence in Gangtok to discuss the situation of flash floods in the state. Addressing the meeting, MoS Mishra said that the government is closely monitoring the situation in Sikkim and all the necessary support and assistance for the state is underway.
4. The Indian Army on Saturday expressed condolences over the loss of eight jawans and said that “concerted search and rescue efforts are ongoing to locate and rescue the remaining 14 missing soldiers and other civilians”.
5. The Sikkim CM also visited flood-affected areas and relief camps at Naga Village in Mangan to assess the situation. According to him, the maximum damage in the flash floods in the Teesta River took place after the 1200 MW dam in Chungthang in the state's Mangan district broke. He also alleged “substandard construction work” by the previous government in the state.

(With inputs from agencies)