Sikkim Rains: More Than 300 People Rescued From Rain-Hit North Sikkim
A total 115 civilians, 216 personnel of Army and 12 personnel of Indo-Tibetan Border Police have been rescued who were stranded in North Sikkim due to incessant rains and landslides during the last 48 hours.
Gangtok, September 17: A total 115 civilians, 216 personnel of Army and 12 personnel of Indo-Tibetan Border Police have been rescued who were stranded in North Sikkim due to incessant rains and landslides during the last 48 hours. Around 22 tons of relief material has been sent to the rain-affected regions. The Indian Army and the air force have launched rescue operations in North Sikkim in coordination with civil authorities.
According to news agency PTI, Five helicopters did the sorties from 6.30 am to airlift the stranded people and the whole operation was carried out by the 112 Mountain Brigade of the Indian Army posted in North Sikkim and the Indian Air Force. The rains have stopped in the region, so the relief and restoration work has started in a war footing in North Sikkim district.
The Energy and Power department has finished the task of restoration of the damaged electricity connections in the district. The water supply to most parts of the district headquarters town of Mangan has been restored on Monday. The Quick Response Team and the Forest department has cleared all the blocked roads in Mangan town and other areas, along the North Sikkim highway.
Yesterday, the army and the air force made several sorties from Gangtok and Sevoke and evacuated around 100 people, including a pregnant woman. Heavy, incessant rains lashed Sikkim’s North district which triggered landslides in the region destroying bridges in the region. Many people were also rendered homeless. The traffic on the National Highway 10 which connects Darjeeling district's headquarters Siliguri and northern West Bengal's Kalimpong with Sikkim, and National Highway 31C which links Siliguri with Bengal's Dooars and also Assam was affected.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 17, 2018 10:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).