KOLKATA: The number of bodies recovered from the northern sector of West Bengal following the devastating flash-flood in adjacent hill-state of Sikkim has increased to 22 as of Friday, as per the records of the state disaster management department.
At least, 17 were recovered till Friday morning. The bodies were mainly recovered from the overflowing Teesta River in Jalpaiguri district in the northern sector.
As per the initial estimates of the state disaster management department, of the 22 bodies recovered at least six are of the Indian army personnel posted at Sikkim who went missing following the flash flood.
"More bodies might be recovered as the work of recovery and rescue operations progress," an official from the disaster management department said.
The bodies recovered so far have been preserved at four different hospitals at Malbazar, Maynaguri, Jalpaiguri Town in Jalpaiguri district and in North Bengal Medical College & Hospital at Siliguri In adjacent Darjeeling district.
Meanwhile, the National Highway 10 connecting north Bengal with Sikkim has been damaged following landslides. Sate disaster management department sources said that smaller relief and rescue vehicles are being sent to different parts of Sikkim through an alternative route, which is of a longer distance than the conventional route.
“Several tourists from West Bengal are still stranded at different parts of Sikkim. The figure is estimated to be around 3,000. Fortunately, the weather conditions have started improving from Friday morning and the pace of relief and rescue operations can be accelerated. We expect to bring back a substantial number of stranded tourists from the state there by Saturday afternoon,” the state disaster management department official said.