Bridge swept away, MLA ziplines across river in flood-hit Sikkim


At least 53 people have been killed in floods in the state on Wednesday.

Gangtok:

In a sign of his commitment to his constituencies, an MLA zipped across a rising river in flood-hit Sikkim to assess the situation in the town worst affected by the floods.

Samdup Lepcha is a Member of Parliament from Lachinmangan Constituency. Chingthang, which saw parts of the 1,200-MW Teesta III dam overflow, is part of his constituency and bore the brunt of the flash floods that hit the state on Wednesday, killing at least 53 people. Death has occurred.

On Saturday, Mr. Lepcha was leading a team from Pegong village in Mangan district to Changthang, where residents have been complaining of inadequate relief efforts. The only log bridge leading to Chingthang has been washed away and, at the suggestion of his team, Mr. Lepcha decides to take the only route available to him.

A video shows the MLA being suspended by two ropes as he is lightly pushed by security personnel. Mr. Lepcha is initially seen smiling, but the danger immediately becomes apparent as he dangles over the angry Changthang River, bloated by floodwaters, with only a makeshift zipline holding him aloft.

Sources said Mr. Lepcha and his team, which also included the Deputy Inspector General of Police and Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Chingthang, were the first senior administration officials to reach the cut-off town since the floods hit.

destruction

When the upstream South Lehnak Lake bursts its banks, flooding the Teesta River and sending floodwaters downstream, the presence of the Teesta III Dam created a vortex in the town, residents of Changthang said. destroyed it. The floodgates and several other structures of the dam, the largest in the state, were swept away by the raging river.

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He complained that the relief efforts in the town were not proper and claimed that none of the stranded residents had been airlifted in the three days since the floods hit.

A resident said two prominent villages near the town, Lachen and Laching, which are popular with tourists, have been completely cut off.

Soldiers among the dead

At least 53 people, including 8 soldiers, were killed and more than 140 people are missing after the floods hit the state on Wednesday.

The Sikkim government reported that 1,173 houses were severely damaged and more than 2,000 people were rescued. At least 14 bridges have been submerged or washed away, cutting off connectivity to North Sikkim.

After a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Friday, officials had said that reopening road connectivity to Changthang is being prioritized. A compensation of Rs 4 lakh has been announced for the next of kin of the deceased.

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