The toll from the flash flood in Sikkim rose to 40 on Tuesday with two more bodies found in the state, while 76 people are still missing about two weeks after the disaster, officials said.
The flash flood in the Teesta river, caused by a cloudburst in the early hours of October 4, devastated the state and affected around 88,000 people.
Sikkim has a population of about 6.10 lakh, the lowest among all states in India, according to the 2011 census.
Most of the bodies were found in Pakyong. According to the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA), of the 26 bodies found in the district, 15 were civilians and 11 were military personnel.
Four bodies were found in Mangan, eight bodies in Gangtok and two in Namchi, a bulletin said.
Several bodies were also found in neighboring West Bengal and were transported to the downstream areas by the Teesta, officials said.
Of the 76 missing, 28 were from Pakyong, 23 from Gangtok, 20 from Mangan and five from Namchi.
Currently, 20 relief camps are operational in the state and 2,080 people are seeking shelter in them, the SSDMA said.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), a combination of excessive rainfall and a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) event at South Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim could have caused the flash floods.
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