Work is on to restore connectivity in areas isolated by flash flood in North Sikkim by setting up temporary bridges and other means, while evacuating stranded tourists will continue on Wednesday, officials said. Troops of the Army and various government agencies people are working to send essential commodities to the distressed people.
Out of the approximately 1700 tourists stranded in north Sikkim, a total of 690 tourists, including 26 foreigners, have been rescued by air from Lachen and Lachung towns by the Indian Air Force (IAF) since Monday.
More than 500 people including tourists have crossed over the log bridge on Tuesday, officials said, adding that army engineers are working on strengthening the bridge.
Braving difficult terrain and inclement weather, a team of the army assisted 11 civilians isolated in Chaten area with immediate food and medical aid. A helipad was created and they were rescued later, officials said.
Earlier, a foot track had been opened to the isolated village of Rabom where 245 people had been stranded. Out of them, 129 are employees of Kundan Hydel power project.The IAF helicopters also transported nearly 58 tonnes of relief materials to North Sikkim for locals, and the Army and ITBP personnel posted there, the chief secretary said.A week after the flash flood, which happened in the early hours of October 4, 76 people are still missing.
So far, 36 bodies have been found in Sikkim, while 41 bodies have been found at various places along the river in neighbouring West Bengal, according to officials in the two states.
A cloudburst in the Lhonak glacial lake led to the discharge of a huge quantity of water, which triggered a flash flood in the Teesta river, flooding towns and villages and affecting about 87,300 people.
The Inter-Ministerial Central Team led by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Anant Kishore Saran on Wednesday left for the national capital after completing the assessment of the extent of damage caused by flash floods in Sikkim, an official said. The Central team had visited the disaster-affected areas in East and North Sikkim for first-hand information of the extent of damage inflicted by flash floods.