NEW DELHI: According to a Tuesday government announcement, the dead toll from the Sikkim flash floods rose to 40, and 76 people are still missing in the disaster-stricken state. The Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority reports that 4418 persons have so far been evacuated from each of the four affected districts. “A total number of people were evacuated in Mangan (2705) Gangtok (1025), Pakyong (58) Namchi (630) however there are 40 casualties, with Pakyong facing the most deaths (15),” according to an official statement. According to SSDMA, 1852 persons are being housed in 19 relief camps spread over four districts in the state. Prior to the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood across the Teesta River Basin in Gangtok, the Sikkim government announced Rs 10,000 each for labourers enrolled under the building and other construction workers (BOCW) welfare board on Sunday. At the awareness and distribution of distress relief aid ceremony held in Chintan Bhawan in Gangtok, Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay presented checks to around 8,733 labourers impacted by the South Lhonak Lake GLOF. The Trishakti Corps of the Indian Army is still providing aid in the region. The Sappers are still rebuilding and re-connecting places that were cut off from the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood, according to the Trishakti Corps. The Sappers built a foot suspension bridge over the Mighty Teesta river in North while working in unfavourable weather. From October 7 to October 13, Trishakti Corps soldiers also carried out a rescue operation in North Sikkim. The army managed to get to the residents of the North Sikkim village of Rabom by navigating dangerous terrain. People who were stranded received food and medical care from the army. The Trishakti Corps personnel managed to construct a rescue route despite the bad weather, rescuing 97 Kundan Hydro Power Project employees as well as a number of residents of Rabom village. The Army also built a helipad in the village to improve access for the troops.On October 3, the Lhonak glacier in the Sikkim Himalayas ruptured, shattering one side of the lake and raising the water levels in Teesta and numerous other areas of the state, leaving thousands of visitors trapped and leaving scores of people dead. The recent flash floods that damaged footbridges, roads, and other infrastructure severely disrupted Sikkim’s daily life.
