Teesta Flood Shatters Dreams in Sikkim

Many people had their ambitions permanently crushed when the torrential Teesta stealthily crept inside their homes.

Lakpa Lepcha, a native of Singtam in Sikkim, claimed on Thursday that the cold water abruptly awakened him while he was asleep in his home.

"Water surrounded me. The stone quarry worker Lakpa remarked, "It had reached my waist without making any noise.

A little farther from Singtam town is where Lakpa's home located. Residents of the town said that whistles used by staff members of the Gangtok district government had warned them of the rising river.

"Water suddenly poured in. I kicked at the tin shed walls in search of a way out while holding my wife's hand. We eventually made it to higher ground, though my hand was hurting from holding and tugging my wife," remarked Lakpa, who was powerless to intervene. "I had about Rs 1 lakh in savings to build my house. The money is gone, but I am fortunate to still be here.

Bagay Khola inhabitant Kumari Rai was unlucky.

"I discovered water had seeped into my home. I sprinted to my mother to alert her about the rising flood. My mother, my nephew, and my aunt were all carried away by the flood, said Kumari.

Alina Lepcha, Ajit Gazmer's wife, reportedly climbed a tree to save herself, according to Ajit Gazmer, a fellow Singtam resident.

"I wasn't at home; I was somewhere else. My wife reportedly climbed a tree about two in the morning to rescue herself. She has bruises all over her hands, remarked Gazmer.

The house of Gazmer's uncle and aunt had been entirely buried by the silt, and he was seeking for them. Six elderly people from my neighborhood remain missing, according to Gazmer.