Dharamsala — His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in a letter to Prem Singh Tamang, Chief Minister of Sikkim, has expressed his sadness at the loss of life and the damage to property in Sikkim as a result of the flash flood in the Teesta river valley on October 4, 2023 and His Holiness wrote,"As a mark of my solidarity with the people of Sikkim, I have asked the Dalai Lama Trust to make a donation towards relief and rescue efforts."
His Holiness the Dalai Lama wrote to the Chief Minister of Sikkim, Prem Singh Tamang, on the evening of October 4, 2023, to express his solidarity with the people of Sikkim, in particular with the families of the victims and those affected by the flash floods caused by the cloud burst in the early hours of October 4, 2023.
His Holiness wrote,"I offer my condolences to families who have lost loved ones, as well as others affected by this disaster, and pray for their welfare."
"I commend the State government and other concerned authorities for all they are doing to provide relief to people affected by this calamity. As a mark of my solidarity with the people of Sikkim, I have asked the Dalai Lama Trust to make a donation towards relief and rescue efforts," His Holiness wrote.
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama concluded his letter with prayers.
According to reports, this sudden burst of clouds over Lake Lhonak in northern Sikkim caused the Teesta River in the Lachen Valley to flash flood on Wednesday. So far, at least 14 people have died and 102 are missing, 166 people have so far been rescued. The flooding in Sikkim, which began at around 1.30am, October 4, was exacerbated by the release of water from the Chungthang dam. Several towns, including Dikchu, Singtam and Rangpo, located in the Teesta basin, were also flooded by the swollen river. The floods in Sikkim also affected four districts of Bengal, Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar, due to the water released by the Teesta dam.
