A landslide killed three members of a family and destroyed two houses in Sikkim’s Gyalshing district in the early hours of Friday.
A seven-year-old girl was found alive in the arms of her father, who was buried under the debris in the upper Rimbi area, located about 135km from Gangtok.
“After first-aid, the girl was sent to the District Hospital at Gezing, from where she was referred to Gangtok,” said a source in the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), who joined the rescue operation along with local people and the Gyalshing district administration.
The sources in the SSB said four members of a family were in one of the destroyed
residences.
“The residents and representatives of the district administration and the SSB rushed to the spot to evacuate affected people. But three people died on the spot,” said an official of the district administration.
The affected place is one of the areas situated furthest from Gangtok. The rescue operation was hobbled by torrential rain and the swollen Hume stream. The rescuers built a makeshift bridge over the stream and reached the affected families.
“Despite rough weather and the swollen hilly stream, the evacuation was carried out with the help of the residents,” the official said.
The deceased were Bhim Prasad Limboo, 53, who was the houseowner, his sister Anita Limboo, 46, and son-in-law Bimal Rai, 50. Bimal’s seven-year-old daughter survived the tragedy.
The 72nd battalion of the SSB, led by Commandant Jai Prakash and posted at Yuksum, conducted the rescue operation.