At least 23 army jawans are missing after a flash flood occurred in the Teesta River of Lachen Valley in North Sikkim on Wednesday. The flash flood was caused by a sudden cloud burst over Lhonak Lake.
The flood swept away the Indreni Bridge in Singtam town, about 30 kilometers from Gangtok, and a connecting bridge in the hamlet of Balutar.
The local residents have been evacuated from Chungthang town, which is located about 90 kilometers north of Gangtok and is home to the Teesta Stage 3 Dam. The Teesta Stage 5 dam at Dikchu in Mangan district was also opened up for water disbursement after a high alert. The control room of the dam has been severely damaged.
Many homes near the Teesta River in Gangtok’s Singtam have been evacuated. Temporary relief facilities have been established in the town’s Singtam Senior Secondary School.
