Over 3,000, mostly tourists are still stranded in Lachen and Lachung towns of Sikkim five days after heavy flash floods hit the Himalayan state.
“We have managed to reach Chungthang from where the road divides – one heading towards Lachen and another to Lachung. But these two towns, beyond Chungthang, still remain inaccessible to relief and rescue workers.
Around 3,000 people are still stranded there. They are being helped by the local administration,” an official from Mangan district said.
An outburst in a glacial lake on last Tuesday night resulted into a flash flood that barrelled down in the Teesta river killing 82 people, while 140 are still missing.
The two towns Lachen and Lachung are situated in Mangan district that remain the worst hit area in Sikkim.
As per the state government, as many as 50 villages and towns of the Mangan district alone have been hit by the flash floods and over 30,000 people have been affected.
While, over a dozen are still missing, four people have lost their lives in the district.
“While a relief and rescue team, comprising NDRF personnel, managed to reach Chungthang for the first time on Friday night, the ITBP personnel rescued 56 people using a zip-line on Saturday,” an official said.
Meanwhile, a central team is expected to reach Gangtok to take stock of the situation.
