Odia Jawan missing in Sikkim flash flood ‘martyred’

Odia Jawan Saroj Kumar Das, who had gone missing along with 22 other Army personnel following a flash flood in the Teesta River of Lachen Valley due to a sudden cloud burst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim, has been martyred, family sources said on Thursday.

Saroj Kumar Das, a resident of Kendudhipa under the Kamakhyanagar block of Dhenkanal district, was part of the Army team that has been reported missing in the disaster.

The news of his martyrdom has shattered his family. A pall of gloom descended on his village after family members identified his body through a video call. Das had come to visit his family just two months back and his death has come as a shock to his family.

“The Army authorities called us and informed us that they have recovered five bodies till now. One of them is our brother. We identified him through a mole. Our brother is no more,” said an inconsolable Manoj, brother of the martyred jawan Saroj.

Shockingly, none from the state government has reached out to the grieving jawan’s family. The bereaved family is yet to be reached out by the district administration.

“My brother laid his life while serving the country. But, not even a single official of the district administration or the state government has approached us. Neither did anyone help in tracing the whereabouts of my brother. We had to ourselves contact the Army,” Manoj rued.

Worth mentioning, at least 14 people have died while 102 have been missing after the cloudburst, reports said. The Defence Ministry has said that the search for the missing people is on. However, intermittent rain and thunderstorms were hampering the rescue operation. 

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang and took stock of the situation, and assured all possible support.