NEW DELHI: At least 10 people were reported dead and 82 missing in floods in India's northeastern state of Sikkim.
A cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim had triggered a water surge in the Teesta River basin, local media reports said.
Many roads, bridges, vehicles and buildings were swept away by the gushing waters.
"Twenty-two army personnel have been reported missing and 41 vehicles submerged under the slush," a military official said.
More than 3,000 tourists from various parts of India were stuck in Sikkim and many workers involved in a Teesta dam project in the Chungthang area were stranded in the dam's tunnels, the reports said.
A meeting of India's National Crisis Management Committee in New Delhi on Wednesday asked for their evacuation on a priority basis.
Three National Disaster Response Force teams have been deployed for relief and rescue work, and more were on standby, according to an Indian government statement.
"Adequate number of teams and assets of Army and Air Force are being deployed to assist the state in rescue and restoration efforts," it said.
– BERNAMA