Sikkim flash floods: Rescue operations underway to locate remaining 14 missing soldiers: Indian Army

New Delhi [India], October 8 (ANI): The Indian Army on Saturday said that search and rescue efforts are underway to locate and rescue the remaining 14 missing soldiers and other civilians in recent Sikkim flash floods.
Indian Army also expressed condolences over the loss of eight jawans in recent flash floods triggered by a cloudburst in Sikkim.
The Army in a statement said that Army Chief General Manoj Pande and all ranks of the Indian Army express heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of eight Indian Army soldiers in the unfortunate incident of flash floods arising out of a glacial lake burst in Sikkim.
"We stand firm with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. COAS and all ranks Indian Army also expressed grief at the loss of civilian lives in this tragic incident,' it said.
"Concerted search and rescue efforts are ongoing to locate and rescue the remaining 14 missing soldiers and other civilians," the release further added.
It said that Indian Army efforts towards providing safety, relief & succour to the local populace affected by this calamity will continue. "Despite the irreparable loss of lives & material, the Indian Army remains committed and prepared for all the contingencies".
As per the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) report, the death toll was registered at 26 with 142 people still reported missing. It said 2413 people have been rescued, and 1203 houses have been damaged in the flash flood.
Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Saturday said that maximum damage in the flash floods in Teesta River took place after the 1200 MW dam in Chungthang in the State's Mangan district broke alleging substandard construction work by the previous government in the State.
CM visited flood-affected areas and relief camps at Naga Village in Mangan to assess the situation and interacted with people there this morning.
The Lhonak glacier in the Sikkim Himalayas burst on October 3, breaching one side of the lake leading to the rise in the water levels in Teesta and inundating several areas of the state.
The Sikkim government has set up 18 relief camps in Singtam, Rangpo, Dikchu and Adarsh Gaon which have faced most of the damages. However, due to a lack of connectivity with Chungthang, the relief camps there are being set up by the Indian Army and other paramilitaries. (ANI)