About 25,000 people hit by flash floods: Sikkim CM

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, better known as P S Golay, on Friday said that the Himalayan state has incurred damages worth thousands of crores of rupees in the flash flood.

At least 22 people, including seven army jawans, have been killed while 103 others remained missing after a cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim in the early hours of Wednesday triggered the flash flood.

Golay visited flood-affected areas in Rangpo town in Pakyong district and interacted with the displaced people lodged in relief camps. He assured them of all possible assistance.

"There have been damages worth thousands of crores of rupees. We cannot give exact details about damages, it will be revealed once a committee is formed and it completes its analysis. Our first priority is to save those who are stranded and provide them immediate relief," Golay told PTI Video.

"Road connectivity between districts has been cut off and bridges have been washed away. Communication in North Sikkim has been severely affected," the CM said.

Tamang said around 25,000 people have been hit by the natural calamity.

The CM said that he has spoken with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, President Droupadi Murmu and other Union ministers and discussed the situation.

"They have assured me that all necessary assistance will be provided to the state," he said.

Meanwhile, Shah has approved the release of Rs 44.8 crore as an advance amount from the central share of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to Sikkim to provide relief to the affected people.

Following a directive from Shah, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has formed an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), which will visit the affected areas of Sikkim soon to make an assessment of the damage caused due to a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF), cloudburst and flash flood, according to an official statement.

The home minister has approved the release of both the instalments of the SDRF's central share to Sikkim, amounting to Rs 44.8 crore, in advance for 2023-24 to help the northeastern state provide relief to the affected people, the statement said.

The Centre has assured the Sikkim government of all possible help. The central government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is standing shoulder to shoulder with Sikkim, the statement said.

Based on the IMCT's assessment, additional central assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) will be approved for Sikkim, in accordance with the laid-down procedure.

The flash flood in the Teesta River, triggered by the cloudburst in Lhonak Lake, caused accumulation of huge quantity of water, which turned towards Chungthang Dam destroying the power infrastructure before moving downstream in spate flooding towns and villages.

Search for the missing people is underway, while the administration and the defence forces are making efforts to escort stranded tourists to safety.