Northeast Desk, 6th October: An Indian Army jawan, originally from Assam’s Baksa district, remains missing for following the flash flood in the Teesta River basin in Sikkim, as per reports emerged on Thursday. Mitul Kalita, a craftsman serving in the Indian Army’s technical department, is one of the 22 soldiers who went missing during the Sikkim flash flood on Wednesday. Kalita, who works in Alipurduar, was on official duty in Sikkim at the time.
His family, residing in the Anandabazar area of the district, has been desperately trying to establish contact with him but has not received any information about his whereabouts. Defence sources have confirmed that the family has been informed of Mitul Kalita’s status as missing, and ongoing search operations are underway to locate him and the other missing soldiers affected by the flash flood.
The Indian Army continues its dedicated search and rescue operation for the 22 missing soldiers. In the meantime, troops from the Trishakti Corps are providing medical assistance and telephone connectivity to civilians and tourists stranded in the Chungthang, Lachung, and Lachen areas of North Sikkim.
The search and rescue efforts led by the Trishakti Corps persist, with a focus on uncovering vehicles submerged in slush near Singtam. The search for the missing individuals now concentrates on the areas downstream of the Teesta River.
Out of the initial 23 missing individuals, one person was miraculously found alive on the evening of October 4th. Family members of the missing persons have been contacted and briefed on the ongoing situation.
All other Indian Army personnel stationed in Sikkim and North Bengal are reported to be safe, although they are currently unable to communicate with their families due to disruptions in mobile communication.