10 Nepalis missing in Sikkim

Ten Nepali nationals have gone missing in flood-ravaged Sikkim. They are reportedly from Ilam municipality-9.

According to Bikram Babu Phyak of Ilam-9, those people were in Sikkim for work. He feared that a flooded Tista River may have swept them away on October 4.

After the flooding, these people have lost contact with their families, which have requested the government to help find their missing relatives.

According to Shrawan Kumar Pokharel, chief district officer of Ilam, among the missing are Sen Bahadur Karki aka Sanu, Lakpa Sherpa, Narmaya Basnet, Khusi Basnet and Kumar Basnet.

Pokharel said he had information that Karki and Sherpa have gone missing but came to know that Basnet and others were also unaccounted for only recently, apparently due to disruption in telephone services and electricity supply in the affected areas. 

He said Nepali authorities are in talks with Indian security authorities regarding the search and rescue of Nepali nationals.

Per media reports, air force helicopters managed to land at the affected areas on Monday for search and rescue operations as a hydroelectric dam burst last week after intense rains, flooding a valley with water and washing away bridges and homes as thousands fled in one of the worst disasters to hit the region in 50 years. 

Police said rescuers have recovered 52 bodies while around a 100 people, including 23 army personnel,  remain unaccounted for.

As the weather improved, helicopters arrived in the worst-hit Mangan district to help some 3,000 stranded tourists.

As per India media reports, an immediate account has been taken of all tourists and local residents in the regions of Chaten, Lachen, Lachung, and Thangu in North Sikkim. A comprehensive list of 2000 tourists, including 63 foreign nationals, has been compiled, and support is being extended in the form of food, medical care, lodging and telephone access.