8 DIE, 43 INCLUDING 23 JAWANS MISSING

New Delhi/Sikkim: At least eight people were found dead, around 43 people have been reported missing and several vehicles have submerged on Wednesday after a sudden cloud burst over Lhonak Lake in Sikkim triggered a flash flood in the Teesta River basin, upending daily life in the region. The Sikkim government issued a notification, declaring the natural calamity a ‘disaster’, after water levels swelled drastically during the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.

Releasing water from Chungthang dam led to a sudden increase in water level, upto 15-20 feet high downstream. This also led to Army vehicles parked at Bardang near Singtam getting affected.