Rescue operations have entered the third day after flash floods in India's north-eastern state of Sikkim left over 100 people missing.
At least 22 people, including seven soldiers, have died, officials said on Friday. The massive floods were trigged by a cloudburst over a mountain lake this week.
The floods worsened after water was released from a nearby dam into the Teesta river. It destroyed the power infrastructure at the Chungthang dam before moving downstream and flooding towns and villages.
Hundreds of search and rescue personnel have been deployed across Sikkim and in the northern parts of the neighbouring West Bengal state, which is downstream. Areas near the river remain on high alert.
Among those reported missing were 23 army personnel. Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang said the bodies of seven had been recovered from different areas downstream of the river. One solider had been rescued alive earlier this week.
A total of 103 people, including 15 soldiers, remain missing, he said. More than 22,000 people have been affected by the floods with many stranded in Lachen and Lachung in northern Sikkim. The floods have disrupted mobile phone coverage in the area.
“Road connectivity between districts has been cut off and bridges have been washed away,” Mr Tamang told the Press Trust of India on Friday. The army said it was providing food and medical aid to people and extending communication facilities to civilians and stranded tourists. Rescue teams are also moving evacuees to relief camps.
All schools and colleges in the state will remain closed until 15 October due to inclement weather. On Tuesday night, the state's Lhonak lake breached its embankment after heavy rain, leading to an alarming rise in water in the Teesta river in Lachen Valley.
The flood worsened after water was released from a nearby dam into the river. A defence spokesperson reported a rapid surge in water levels downstream, reaching heights of 15 to 20 feet. Satellite images shared by Isro, India's space agency, showed dramatic changes in the volume of the lake.
The lake covered an area of 167.4 hectares on 28 September, but by 4 October, it had shrunk to just 60.3 hectares. The floods had caused massive damage to infrastructure, including roads and bridges.
Northern parts of neighbouring West Bengal state have been affected as water from the Teesta inundated Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri districts. Two people were killed and six others injured after a mortar shell, found in the overflowing river, blew up in Jalpaiguri, officials said.
Sikkim in the Himalayas is prone to floods and natural disasters. Last year, severe flooding there displaced tens of thousands and killed at least 24 people.
— CutC by bbc.com
