23 army personnel went missing in the Bardang area of Sikkim during the recent flash flood disaster. The death toll in the Sikkim flash flood has reached 22, with at least seven of them being Army personnel. The flash flood occurred due to the possible bursting of a high-altitude glacial lake near the China-Nepal border. Military equipment, including firearms and explosives, was swept away by the Teesta river, prompting authorities to warn people to report any unfamiliar objects or suspicious items found in and around the river.
Of the 23 missing Army personnel, seven bodies have been recovered, and one soldier was rescued. Search operations are ongoing in both Sikkim and North Bengal to locate the remaining missing soldiers. In addition to the military personnel, 103 people, including 15 jawans, are still missing in North Sikkim.
Efforts to provide relief and assistance to the affected population are underway, with thousands of stranded individuals being evacuated and provided shelter in 26 relief camps across four affected districts. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved financial assistance of ₹44.8 crore from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for Sikkim.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has formed an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) to assess the damage caused by the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF), cloudburst, and flash floods in Sikkim. Additionally, the Army is engaged in rescue operations to evacuate approximately 3,000 tourists stranded in Lachen, Lachung, and Chungthang areas of Sikkim.
