Lhonak Lake outburst causes flash flood in Teesta, over 60 people dead and missingUrja Dam washed away 23 soldiers missing NH 10 closed to traffic

Singtam

PRAKASH ADHIKARI, SUJAL PRADHAN, DEEPAK SHARMA, EOI, GANGTOK, OCTOBER 4, 2023 : A surge of water from Lhonak Lake in the Mangan district of north Sikkim induced by a cloudburst early on Wednesday left five people dead and 59 missing, including 23 army personnel. The rise in the level of water in river Teesta caused severe damage to the river basin area in the districts of Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi. 

The Urja dam in Chungthang was washed away. The NHPC stage V dam top site, Dikchu and power house site Teesta Urja, Ringdang Bridge, were swept away. There was no way to enter power house. There was no casualty, however, as the sfaff members managed to run out of the tunnel. 

The flood in Sikkim that started at 1.30 a.m. was made wolrse by the release of water from Chungthang dam, officials said. Rajeev Bhattacharya, 25, a tourist from Kolkata who was on a trek from Gangtok to Singtam, told the PTI over the phone: “We saw a huge wave of water rushing at great speed through the valley and mangled remains of structures being swept away. Luckily me and my friends were on high ground.” 

About 25 army vehicles were washed away. The weather office issued a red alert for Sikkim for the next 48 hours. The Education Department has decided to shut down all government educational institutions till October 8. 

Urja Dam 

In the Mangan district, Chungthang was cut off due to the collapse of the Toong Bridge. The Phidang Bridge also collapsed and four pucca houses at Phidang were washed away, along with two houses at Dikchu. Houses close to the river bank were mostly in danger. Two GREF crusher plants and the old police barrack at Toong were washed away. 

The Chungthang bridge was washed away, together with two bridges at Minshithang and one bridge at Zema. The Ritchu Bridge was also washed away. Eighty percent of Chungthang town was badly affected. The water supply at Chungthang town was completely washed out Two missing labourers of the General Reserve Engineering Force at Sangkhalang in Dzongu were reported dead, GREF sources said. 

One person was reported dead in Phidang. Four people were reported missing at Toong. Dzongu was reported to be totally cut off due the collapse of the Sangkhalang Bridge. The Toong – Naga Gram Panchayat Unit was totally cut off. Twenty families were relocated to a relief camp set up at Chandey, Chungthang and Naga In Gangtok district, Gammon Bridge and L. D. Kazi Bridge over river Teesta connecting Singtam to Adarsh Gaon and the Namchi district were completely washed away. The whole of Singtam Lall Bazar and the IBM area of Rangpo were under flood water. 

Twenty five people were rescued by the State Disaster Relief Force; more rescue efforts were under way. One person was missing at Dikchu. Four injured people were taken to Singtam hospital?. One man was reported dead. Seven people trapped at Sneha Kinetic Power Project, Dikchu, were successfully evacuated. Six labourers were missing at labour camp at Lanco site at Serwani. 

Teams of SDRF and National Disaster Relief Force were deployed in search and rescue operations. A relief camp was set up at Dikchu Government Senior Secondary School to accommodate 150 people. In the Namchi district, the water level rose to the playground in Melli. 

Two labourers were swept away at Mamring. A total of 475 people were accommodated in relief camps, people affected by the flooding at Namphing. Another relief camp set up at Melli housed 120 people. In the Pakyong district, one person died on the West Bengal side of river Teesta, there were two minor injuries and one person partially drowned at Rangpo Primary Health Centre. Four people died at Golitar and seven were missing at Baghey Khola. 

Seventeen people with injuries were treated at Singtam District Hospital. The Singtam sewage treatment plant and sewage pipelines were washed out at Rangpo. Relief camps were set up in schools at Chanatar, Majhitar, Majhi Gaon, and the premises of Sikkim Distilleries, Rangpo, Tourist Information Centre and Nepali Dharamshala, Golitar. 

The Sikkim Government in a notification said the natural calamity had been declared a disaster