Rescue operations have entered the third day after flash floods in India's north-eastern state of Sikkim left over 100 people missing.

• At least 26 people, including seven soldiers, have died, officials said on Friday.
• The massive floods were trigged by a cloudburst over a mountain lake this week.

The floods worsened after water was released from a nearby dam into the Teesta river. It destroyed the power infrastructure at the Chungthang dam before moving downstream and flooding towns and villages.

Hundreds of search and rescue personnel have been deployed across Sikkim and in the northern parts of the neighbouring West Bengal state, which is downstream. Areas near the river remain on high alert.

Among those reported missing were 23 army personnel. Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang said the bodies of seven had been recovered from different areas downstream of the river. One solider had been rescued alive earlier this week.

CM asks officials to stop issuing tourist permits:

• Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has asked officials to stop issuing permits to tourists in popular destinations like Tsomgo Lake, Baba Mandir and Nathula from Friday.

26 people hospitalised with injuries, nearly 100 remain missing: 

• Twenty-six people have suffered injuries and were undergoing treatment at various hospitals across Sikkim

Flood destroys 11 bridges in Sikkim:

• The flood destroyed 11 bridges in the state, of which eight bridges were washed away in Mangan district alone. Two bridges were destroyed in Namchi and one in Gangtok. Water pipelines, sewage lines and 277 houses, both kuchcha and concrete, have been destroyed in the four affected districts.

Army jawan from Odisha dies in Sikkim flash flood; CM condoles death:

• An Army jawan from Odisha who was missing in Sikkim flash floods along with 22 other army personnel was found dead on Thursday. Saroj Kumar Das, a resident of Kendudhipa village of Odisha's Dhenkanal district, was at the Army camp when a sudden cloudburst triggered flash flood in Teesta river in North Sikkim.

 

“I am saddened to hear about the martyrdom of Odia jawan Saroj Kumar Das in an incident that occurred due to the floods in Sikkim. His sacrifice in the service of the country will always be remembered. May his soul rest in peace. I pay my condolences to the bereaved family members," CM Patnaik said.

 

A total of 142 people, including 15 soldiers, remain missing, he said.

More than 22,000 people have been affected by the floods with many stranded in Lachen and Lachung in northern Sikkim. The floods have disrupted mobile phone coverage in the area.

"Road connectivity between districts has been cut off and bridges have been washed away," Mr Tamang told the Press Trust of India on Friday.

The army said it was providing food and medical aid to people and extending communication facilities to civilians and stranded tourists. Rescue teams are also moving evacuees to relief camps.

All schools and colleges in the state will remain closed until 15 October due to inclement weather.

On Tuesday night, the state's Lhonak lake breached its embankment after heavy rain, leading to an alarming rise in water in the Teesta river in Lachen Valley.

The flood worsened after water was released from a nearby dam into the river. A defence spokesperson reported a rapid surge in water levels downstream, reaching heights of 15 to 20 feet.

Satellite images shared by Isro, India's space agency, showed dramatic changes in the volume of the lake.

 

The lake covered an area of 167.4 hectares on 28 September, but by 4 October, it had shrunk to just 60.3 hectares.