77 missing after Sikkim flashflood presumed dead

Gangtok, December 2

The 77 persons who went missing in the flashflood in Sikkim are presumed dead as they could not be found even after two months of the disaster, Chief Secretary VB Pathak said on Saturday.

To help their families get various kinds of benefits, including ex gratia, it has been decided to follow the procedure adopted during natural disasters in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, and settle the matter, he told reporters. A total of 77 persons went missing in the flashflood that struck the state on October 4. Two bodies were later found, but their identities could not be ascertained.

The Sikkim Government is providing ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh, while Rs 2 lakh is being provided from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. “We have decided to adopt the procedures followed in Uttarakhand and Himachal to settle the matter of missing persons,” Pathak said.