56 Dead, Over 140 Missing in Sikkim Flash Flood, Rs 4 Lakh Compensation for the Dead

Imphal: At least 53 people, including seven soldiers, have died in the Sikkim flash floods. Twenty-seven more dead bodies washed away by the flood were located in the Teesta river bed in neighbouring West Bengal. Seven of these bodies have been identified.

Over 140 people are still missing, and thousands have been displaced.

According to the Sikkim government, 1,173 houses have been severely damaged and 2,413 people have been rescued. All bridges downstream to the Teesta-V hydropower station have been submerged or washed out. It has affected communication in North Sikkim drastically.

Compensation of Rs 4 lakh has been announced for the families of those who have been killed.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is continuing rescue and relief operations with Mi-17 helicopters.

Flash floods cloudburst have ravaged the northeastern state, affecting over 25,000 people, damaging nearly 1,200 homes, and destroying 13 bridges.

A glacial lake burst triggered flash floods and released water from Chungthang Dam, drastically increasing the water level of the Teesta River on Wednesday morning.

The central government has approved the release of Rs 44.8 crore in advance from the central share of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to provide relief to people affected by the floods.