During a cloudburst, flash floods hit Sikkim, washing away parts of the national highway

On Wednesday, an overflowing Teesta river washed away sections of NH-10, which connects Sikkim to the rest of the nation. The river water level soared to dangerous levels after a cloudburst sparked a flash flood in the northeastern state.

The cloudburst happened above Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim, flooding the river that runs through Sikkim and West Bengal.

A huge search is underway to find 23 Army servicemen who were reported missing following the flash floods.

Locals' videos showed a significant portion of a road being washed away by the roaring river floods. According to the Central Water Commission, the Teesta was running below the danger level at 6 a.m. on Wednesday and was projected to pass it within six hours.

"The flash flood swept over the Teesta River, washing Indreni Bridge in Singtam town, around 30 kilometres from Gangtok." A connecting bridge of the Balutar hamlet was also swept away at 4 a.m., according to the Gangtok District Administration. Several Singtam residents have been moved to makeshift relief camps in the town.

People in Chungthang, 90 kilometres north of Gangtok and near the Teesta Dam, have also been rescued. According to the defence ministry, two bridges linking Singtam and Chungthang in North Sikkim were also destroyed in the towns of Dikchu and Toong. The Border Road Organisation (BRO) is rescuing residents in the affected regions.

"Nobody was hurt, but there was severe damage to public property. Several others have gone missing as well. There are ongoing relief efforts "Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang stated this during a visit to Singtam.

People residing along the Teesta River's banks have also been warned to leave their houses for their own safety. An advisory bulletin from the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority recommended everyone to keep vigilant and avoid travel along the Teesta river basin.

"Light to moderate rainfall is forecast throughout Sikkim during the next 3-4 days," the meteorological service stated in a tweet.