Gangtok: The glacial lake outburst flood in Sikkim, which caused a devastating flood, has also affected the Indian Army.
Official sources said the Indian Army deployed in the area has also been affected, with some camps along the Teesta River bank damaged/ washed away.
Glacial Lake Outburst in South Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim on the night of October 3-4 caused a devastating flood in the North Eastern State of Sikkim. The water level in the Teesta River rose about 50-60 feet in height, causing calamitous floods downstream.
The floods hit a vehicle parking area at Burdang near Singtam and 23 soldiers and 39 vehicles taking a temporary overnight transit halt have been submerged in silt or swept away.
At the incident site, silt and mud measuring up to 30-40 feet high have been deposited and most vehicles are buried underneath. The Indian Army, along with the BRO, the NDRF, State Disaster Relief Teams, Para Military Forces, Police, Civil Administration and the locals of Sikkim & North Bengal launched a search and rescue operation.
So far, 15 vehicles out of the total 39 missing have been recovered.
“Some ammunition, explosives and stores of the Indian Army from various camps swept away have been reported from various places along the downstream river banks. Indian Army has issued advisories through civil administration and deployed lookout teams along with State Police to warn the locals to report sightings of such items. Ammunition experts have been deployed to destroy the explosives recovered in a controlled manner” official sources said.
On Oct 4 evening, one soldier was rescued by villagers from an area 18 km downstream of Burdang, and the individual is now stable and under medical care. Approximately 26 bodies in total have been recovered so far from various areas along the river in North Bengal and four bodies have been handed over by Bangladesh Border Forces. Out of the 26 recovered bodies, eight have been positively identified as that of Indian Army soldiers. The last rites of Naik Bimal Oraon, hailing from Alipurduar, were conducted on October 6 with full military honours. The mortal remains of four soldiers were taken to their native places on October 7 by service and civil aircraft for the conduct of last rites in the presence of the family members.
The post-mortem of two mortal remains is in progress. Meanwhile, the search operation for the remaining 14 soldiers continues.
Dozers and plant equipment have been digging up the site of the incident at Burdang. Since 06 Oct 23, Radars (Leo Life Detector Radar, REECO Radar) and Army Dogs have also been employed.
National Highway 10 (NH 10), the lifeline of Sikkim, has been rendered unusable due to damages to the road surface and many bridges across the Teesta River. The opening/ widening of the Rangpo – Singtam is under progress.
Lt Gen RP Kalita, GOC-in-C, Eastern Command along with Lt Gen VPS Kaushik, GOC Trishakti Corps undertook an aerial survey on Oct 6 to assess the extent of damage and plan for the relief effort.
The Director General BRO along with Indian Army Engineers, NHIDCL and State Government officials are assessing the damage and carrying out a survey for restoring the road connectivity. Meanwhile, efforts are on to connect Chungthang with a footbridge. Helicopters of the Indian Army and Indian Air Force are undertaking emergency supply and evacuation sorties. However, the inclement weather and incessant rains have hindered the aerial operations.
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About 2,500 tourists are assessed to be stranded in the areas of Lachung and Lachen valleys in North Sikkim. The Indian Army along with the local administration has been extending assistance to the stranded tourists and locals by providing food, medical aid and telephone connectivity through satellite terminals.
While the hinterland of Sikkim has been affected, official sources said the operational situation along the Line of Actual Control in Sikkim continues to be stable. “The formations responsible for the Border Management Posture are maintaining a high state of readiness and are optimally stocked as per the sustainable operational logistics plan,” they said.
Also Read | Government allocates Rs 44.80 crore to aid flood-hit Sikkim