Sikkim flash floods: Mortal remains of 8 Army personnel recovered; search on for 14 missing; death toll reaches 27

The mortal remains of eight Army personnel, who were part of a group of soldiers that went missing following flash floods in Sikkim, were recovered on Saturday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said.

The minister, in a post on X, also said he is deeply pained by the tragic loss of lives in the flash floods. "Deeply pained by the tragic loss of precious lives including eight Army personnel in the recent flash floods arising out of glacial lake burst in Sikkim," Singh said.

"Out of the 23 missing soldiers, one was rescued while mortal remains of eight brave soldiers were recovered. Their sacrifice, while being deployed in forward areas in the service of the nation, will not be forgotten. Search operations to rescue remaining 14 soldiers and missing civilians are underway," he added.

Sikkim flash floods: All you need to know

About 27 people including eight Army men have been killed in the flash flood in Sikkim, which was triggered by a cloudburst in the early hours of Wednesday. Over 25,000 people have been affected, more than 1,200 houses have been damaged, and 13 bridges washed away in the picturesque Himalayan state, said the report by the Secretary-cum State Relief Commissioner, Land Revenue and Disaster Management Department on Saturday.

More than 3,000 tourists stranded in Lachen and Lachung in Mangan district of Sikkim after flash flood hit the area, are safe, officials said on Saturday, as per news agency PTI.

Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh for the families of the deceased and an immediate relief of Rs 2,000 each for all those taking shelter in the camps.

The State Government, in collaboration with Sikkim Urja Limited, has formulated a special financial relief package for the disaster-stricken areas of Sikkim. "We have allocated a relief package of Rs 25 crore for Mangan District and Rs 15 crore each for the Districts of Gangtok, Pakyong, and Namchi. This allocation is in addition to the relief aid provided by both the state and the central government," Tamang announced on X.

"The State Government will offer subsidies to those who transport essential commodities, vegetables, and other food items to our state. This measure aims to ensure that the additional expenses incurred due to longer travel routes do not inflate the selling prices for our local residents," he said.

The CM also said that the State Government is committed to exploring all possible avenues to restore road and network connectivity in the severely affected regions of Mangan District, which are currently completely cut off from the rest of the state.

Also Read: What is glacial lake outburst flood, a possible reason for Sikkim flash floods?