Gangtok, June 15: Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang on Saturday visited Melli in Sikkim’s Mangan district and took stock of the situation.

Chief minister Tamang has assured all help from the governments side.

Speaking to reporters, Prem Singh Tamang said, “It is a tragic incident which has killed nine people and injured several. In Mangan six people were killed due to the natural disaster. As many as 40 houses were damaged completely. A total of 67 families were shifted to relief camps and have been provided all basic amenities,”.

“I have already briefed the incident to Union home minister Amit Shah and he assured me of all help. Due to the disaster, most of the roads are cut off to Gangtok. Director General from Ministry of Transport has came to Sikkim to review the road condition. Most of the heavy vehicles cannot passed through the roads because it was damaged in many parts and due to that the costs of essentials will escalate,” Tamang said.

He said, “We are very much serious about the issue and taking all possible measures to sort out. The central government is very much serious about the roads because it is not only about Sikkim state it is also for national security. The NH from Sevoke to Rangpo is under West Bengal government. Therefore, we urged that it comes under central government,”.

“Those who were killed in the disaster, the government will provide Rs 5 lakh to the next of the kin. Some of the tourists were stuck at hotels and we will rescue them through helicopter if weather permits,” Tamang stated.

Earlier this week, heavy rains and landslides in Sikkim caused the Teesta river to swell up and choke road connectivity in and between the two States.

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Key areas in north Bengal like Kalimpong’s Teesta Bazar were inundated, which led to closure of crucial roads like Kalimpong-Darjeeling Road and NH10 that connects Sikkim and north Bengal.

A total of 1,200 domestic tourists and 15 foreign tourists are stranded in Lachung in Sikkim’s Mangan district amid rock blockages caused by torrential rainfall and subsequent landslides from earlier this week.

Read: Landslide and Storm Devastate South West Khasi Hills, Meghalaya

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