Watch: Blast caught on camera; Army ammunition swept away in Sikkim floodwaters explodes on Teesta river bank

Tribune Web Desk

Chandigarh, October 7

A loud explosion was caught on camera on Friday in Sikkim’s Rangpo on the bank of Teesta river after a huge cache of ammunition, belonging to the Indian Army, exploded.

As per the Army sources, the ammunition was swept away during the flash floods in Teesta, reports India Today.

No injuries were reported.

There was a blast in the river bank of Teesta river near Rangpo.#sikkimflood pic.twitter.com/KyUC0qHn4H

— Jyoti Mukhia (@jytmkh) October 6, 2023

In West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district, a boy was killed and five others were injured as a mortar shell reportedly carried by the floodwaters of Teesta river exploded, police said on Friday. Police believe that the mortar shell belonged to the Army and was carried by floodwaters flowing down the hills following a cloudburst and flash floods in neighbouring Sikkim on Wednesday.

Local police sources said the explosion took place at Champadanga village in Kranti block on Thursday evening when one person took the mortar shell home to sell it as scrap metal and tried to break it open.

Search operations continued on Saturday for the 142 people who are still missing after the flash flood in the Teesta river that devastated Sikkim, officials said.

Twenty-six people, including seven Armymen, were killed in the flash flood, which was triggered by a cloudburst in the early hours of Wednesday and affected over 25,000 people, damaged more than 1,200 houses and washed away 13 bridges, bringing the picturesque Himalayan state to its knees, they said.

So far, 2,413 people have been rescued from different areas and 6,875 people are taking shelter in 22 relief camps set up across the state, most of which has been cut off from the rest of the country.

"There have been damage worth thousands of crores of rupees. We cannot give exact details about the damage. It will be revealed once a committee is formed and completes its analysis. Our first priority is to save those who are stranded and provide them immediate relief," he told PTI Video.

"Road connectivity between the districts has been cut off and bridges have been washed away. Communication in North Sikkim has been severely affected," he added.

Of the 23 Army personnel who had gone missing from Bardang, the bodies of seven have been recovered from different areas downstream of Teesta, while one of them was rescued earlier.

The search for the remaining missing soldiers is continuing both in Sikkim and the northern parts of West Bengal through which the Teesta flows, the chief minister said.

At Bardang, Army vehicles have been dug out and stores were recovered, a defence statement said, adding that tracker dogs and special radars have been deployed for assistance in the search operations. With PTI inputs

About The Author

Tribune Web Desk

The Tribune Web Desk brings you the latest news, analysis and insights from the region, India and around the world. Follow the Tribune Wed Desk for not just breaking news stories but wide-ranging coverage of events.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.

#Indian Army #Sikkim #West Bengal