Sikkim flash flood: Death toll rises to 37; inclement weather hampers air evacuation

Around 6,001 people have been either rescued or evacuated from the flood-affected areas and the number of injured persons is 30, it said.

The count of people affected by the natural calamity stood at 87,300.

A total of 3,773 people were rendered homeless and provided shelter in 24 relief camps in the four districts, the SSDMA said.

The road network of the state was severely disrupted as 16 bridges, including nine in the heavily ravaged Mangan district alone, were either submerged by the gushing waters or washed away, it added.

Meanwhile, evacuation of stranded tourists and locals from north Sikkim could not take place by air on Wednesday due to inclement weather, a state government official said.

"Due to unfavourable weather condition, the air evacuation operation from Lachung and Lachen in north Sikkim could not take place today," Planning & Development Secretary R C Bhutia told reporters.

The evacuation operation by air from north Sikkim will resume as soon as the weather improves, he added.

 

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