Sikkim sets up task force to assist residents affected by Nepal floods

The Sikkim government has constituted a task force to provide relief and necessary assistance to residents of the state who may be stranded, missing or otherwise affected by the flash floods in Nepal, an official said on Friday, August 28.

The task force, headed by Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority Director Prabhakar Rai, will coordinate with the Centre, the Indian Embassy in Nepal and other agencies to gather information about Sikkim residents affected by the disaster.

According to a government notification issued on Thursday, the task force will collect, compile and verify information about people reported missing, stranded, injured, deceased or otherwise affected by the floods.

It will also establish communication with the families of affected Sikkim residents and facilitate the exchange of verified information regarding their status and whereabouts, the official said.

The initiative comes amid a massive search and rescue operation in Nepal following devastating flash floods that have claimed hundreds of lives.

The death toll from the floods in central Nepal rose to 469 on Friday, with more bodies recovered. A total of 1,545 injured and stranded people have so far been rescued from various affected regions, while 84 people are currently undergoing treatment at hospitals in Kathmandu.

Search and rescue operations continued for the third day, with 7,451 security personnel, including 2,391 Nepal Army personnel, deployed across affected areas, according to a statement issued by the Nepal Police.

The disaster was triggered on Wednesday when an ice-rock avalanche caused by a glacial collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border sent a massive torrent of water, mud and debris downstream through central Nepal.

The floods devastated towns and villages, washing away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects.

The Sikkim government’s task force is expected to coordinate with authorities in Nepal and families in the state to ascertain the whereabouts and condition of residents from Sikkim who may have been caught in the disaster.