Twenty-three army personnel, as per reports, are missing after a cloudburst resulted flash floods in Sikkim”s Lachen Valley. Several army vehicles were washed away and the water level is extremely dangerous in the Teesta river, rose up to 15-20 feet.

A massive search operation was launched to locate the missing soldiers.

The army vehicles were parked at Bardang near Singtam when the flash flood occurred after the immediate release of water from the Chungthang dam.

Flash:

Due to sudden cloud burst over Lhonak Lake in North #Sikkim, flash flood occurred in #Teesta River in Lachen Valley. Some army establishments along the valley have been affected and efforts are on to confirm details. 23 personnel have been reported missing and some… pic.twitter.com/x3JidOnuo9

— Yuvraj Singh Mann (@yuvnique) October 4, 2023

A statement from the Army”s Eastern Command, as reported by NDTV, says that the release of the water from the Chungthang dam caused the tragedy. It led the water level in the downstream to rose upto 15-20 feet high and washed the army vehicles parked at Bardang near Singtam.

As of now, 23 personnel have been reported missing. Search operations are underway.

Sikkim, a northeast India state bordered by Bhutan, Tibet, and Nepal, is witnessing heavy rainfall from the past night. The state government has issued a high alert to the residents, and Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang ensured that all the emergency services have been mobilized to the affected areas. He visited the Singtam area and assessed the damages encountered to the local people.

“I humbly urge all our citizens to remain vigilant and refrain from unnecessary travel during this critical time. It is essential that we maintain composure and hope for a swift return to normalcy in our region”, expressed the Chief Minister through X (formerly Twitter).

We are all aware of the recent natural calamity that has struck our state. Emergency services have been mobilized to the affected areas, and I personally visited Singtam to assess the damages and engage with the local community.

I humbly urge all our citizens to remain vigilant… pic.twitter.com/KHyylID2pR

— Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) (@PSTamangGolay) October 4, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed the shock he met after knowing the situation on his X handle and ensured all possible supports to address the “”unfortunate natural calamity””. “I pray for the safety and well-being of all those affected”, he added.

Spoke to Sikkim CM Shri @PSTamangGolay and took stock of the situation in the wake of the unfortunate natural calamity in parts of the state. Assured all possible support in addressing the challenge. I pray for the safety and well-being of all those affected.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 4, 2023

Local residents have shared various photographs and video footages on social media handles from the affected areas showing the intensity and severity of the situations.

The Himalayan state of Sikkim in north-east India suffered heavy rainfall triggering flash floods in the Teesta river on Tuesday night. Twenty-three army personnel are reportedly missing, and a search operation is underway. #Sikkim #rain #flooding pic.twitter.com/Qax1JVuvbE

— BBC News India (@BBCIndia) October 4, 2023