19 Dead, 3,000 Stranded In Sikkim

Fresh Alert Issued…

New Delhi: Till now, at least 19 people, including six soldiers, have died in the Sikkim flash floods, and 103 people, including 16 soldiers, are missing so far.

Over 3,000 tourists are stranded, 2,500 people have been evacuated and 6,000 have been taken to relief camps.

The Sikkim government has issued another alert for the glacial lake burst and has asked tourists to delay their travel plans due to the risk of explosives and ammunition washed away from an army camp in the recent flash floods.

Shako Cho Lake near Lachen is at risk of bursting, and authorities have begun evacuating residents from the nearby areas.

"Around 3,000 people are stranded in Lachen and Lachung. 3,150 people who have gone there on motorcycles are also stuck due to the floods.

We will evacuate all with Army and Air Force helicopters," said Sikkim Chief Secretary Vijay Bhushan Pathak.

A glacial lake burst in the upper reaches of Sikkim triggered flash floods and a glacial lake outburst, releasing water from Chungthang Dam and drastically increasing the water level of the Teesta River Wednesday morning, causing widespread devastation in the Himalayan state.