Bhubaneswar: Odia jawan among those 23 missing army men after a flash flood in the Teesta River basin triggered by a cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim was martyred on Thursday.
Saroj Kumar Das, a resident of Kendudhipa under the Kamakhyanagar block of the Dhenkanal district, was part of the Army team that was reportedly missing in the disaster on Wednesday.
The news of his martyrdom has shattered his family after they identified his body through a video call. He had visited his family just two months back, and his death shocked the entire village.
“The Army authorities called us and informed us that they have recovered five bodies till now. One of them is our brother. We identified him through a mole. Our brother is no more,” said a shattered Manoj, brother of the martyred Jawan.
At least 14 people have died, while 102 have been missing after the cloudburst.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has already deployed three teams; additional teams are on standby in Guwahati and Patna. An adequate number of Army and Air Force teams and assets are being deployed to assist the state in rescue and restoration efforts.
Reviewing relief and rescue measures of the Central Agencies and Government of Sikkim, the Cabinet Secretary, Shri Rajiv Gauba, emphasized that evacuating people stranded in the tunnel of Chungthang dam and tourists may be prioritized. He further observed that additional teams of NDRF should be deployed, and connectivity of road, telecom, and power must be restored in the shortest possible time.
The Cabinet Secretary assured the Government of Sikkim that all Central agencies are ready and available for assistance.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, took stock of the situation, and assured all possible support.
