23 Army jawans missing after cloudburst triggers flash flood in Sikkim

Guwahati, Oct 4: At least 23 Army personnel in Sikkim have gone missing following a cloudburst that triggered flash floods along the Teesta River.

The Indian Army has initiated a large-scale search and rescue operation to locate the missing soldiers.

A cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim caused it to overflow and pushed up the water levels in Teesta River.

The situation worsened as the raging river led to the collapse of the Singtham foot bridge over the Teesta.

Adding to the complexity of the situation, the Chungthang dam released a substantial amount of water, further exacerbating the flood downstream.

The water levels surged to alarming heights, reaching up to 15-20 feet.

The floodwaters proved to be powerful enough to sweep away Army vehicles that were stationed near Bardang, close to Singtam. Search and rescue efforts are currently underway to locate the missing personnel.

In the aftermath of the flash flood, several sections of National Highway 10, a vital link connecting West Bengal to Sikkim, were washed away. Multiple roads in the region were either blocked or rendered unusable due to the destructive force of the floodwaters.