An excavator is swept away by strong currents in Sikkim river
Sikkim has received unprecedented rain since Thursday night, marking the arrival of monsoon in the state. The heavy rain led to one casualty in West Sikkim's Rimbi, where a cattle-herder Ash Lall Limboo, 90, was swept away after water level in a river next to his cowshed suddenly rose. The body was recovered from Namchi district on Friday.
Visuals from Rolep in East Sikkim show an excavator next to a river swept away by strong currents. Meyong river in Mangan district overflowed, and water spilled on to the National Highway connecting North Sikkim.
The road connecting Singtam, Dikchu, Rangran, Mangan and Chungthang has seen a number of landslides.
The damage started at 6.15 pm on Thursday on either side of Rangarang in Sikkim. The road was blocked from both sides of the town due to landslides. This consisted of mainly loose stones and boulders that rolled down from mountain tops and covered the entire road, making it impassable for traffic.
A flash flood on the Mangan to Chungthang road washed away a portion of the road and a small bridge in North Sikkim.
Landslide in Chungthang saw a truck getting submerged, resulting in the National Highway connecting Lachung and Lachen villages being blocked.
Roads connecting Mangan and Dikchu are blocked. Dikchu to Gangtok via Rakdung-Tintek road is cleared for light vehicles only.
Mangan to Chungthang road is blocked at many stretches.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Sikkim said the threat of heavier downpour and flash floods in Mangan district in North Sikkim remains a high possibility over the next few days.
"Lachung village received 13 cm rainfall last night. Chungthang in North Sikkim again received 11 cm rainfall, Gangtok also received in 11 cm rainfall last night. Mangan town received 10 cm rainfall. The heavy rainfall is not due to the cyclone affecting other parts of the country, this was mostly due to monsoon rainfall," IMD Sikkim Director Gopinath Raha said.