New Delhi:

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday night praised the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel for safeguarding the border areas in challenging and difficult terrains and climates across the country.

In a post on social media platform X, the Union Minister said: “The country is proud of @ITBP_official soldiers who play a leading role in protecting the border and safeguarding the border areas even in difficult circumstances. Through the ‘Vibrant Village Program’, ITBP is also speeding up development work in the border areas.”

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has introduced the concept of vibrant villages to provide the best facilities to people living in the border villages so that their population is not just sustained but also increased,” Home Minister Shah said.

ITBP could also be made the nodal agency for carrying out developmental work in the border villages, he added.

He further wrote: “Member of Parliament from Garhwal (Uttarakhand) @anil_baluni spent the night resting among the brave ITBP soldiers, appreciated the commitment and dedication of the ‘Himveers’ and boosted their morale.”

Earlier on Friday, BJP MP from Uttarakhand’s Garhwal Lok Sabha constituency, Anil Baluni spent a day with the ITBP personnel, calling them ‘Himveers’ (snow bravehearts) who are deployed in the most challenging climates and chilling temperatures serving selflessly the motherland at the borders of the country.

All citizens of the country feel proud of our security personnel for safeguarding the borders of the country and always keep the feeling of serving the motherland and patriotism alive in their hearts, Baluni said.

The BJP MP in a post on X said: “Enlightened pure Bharati from the high peak of Himadri, The radiant light itself calls for freedom.”

He further wrote: “I got the opportunity to spend a day with the ITBP Himveers who are deployed in the service of Maa Bharati in the most difficult conditions and live their daily routine. Every Indian feels proud to see our soldiers protecting the borders of the country in such difficult conditions and it always keeps the feeling of patriotism alive in their hearts.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Gangtok:

Fifty-six people were rescued in North Sikkim’s Chungthang, one of the worst affected areas in the flash flood, the ITBP said on Sunday. Among those rescued were 52 men and four women, it said.

In an another rescue operation, 56 civilians (52 Male & 4 Female) were successfully rescued via the ropeway made by the ITBP Rescue Team in Chungtham, North Sikkim. #ITBP#Himveerspic.twitter.com/kbqx9wyAND

— ITBP (@ITBP_official) October 8, 2023

“In another rescue operation, 56 civilians (52 male and four female) were successfully rescued via the ropeway made by the ITBP Rescue Team in Chungthang, North Sikkim,” it tweeted.

The search for the 81 people who went missing in the flash flood continued. So far, 30 bodies have been found, officials said.

The flash flood triggered by a cloudburst in the early hours of Wednesday affected 41,870 people in four districts of the Himalayan state, with Mangan bearing the brunt of the calamity as a population of around 30,300 was hit by the disaster, according to the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA).

The other three affected districts are Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi.

Nineteen of the deaths were reported from Pakyong, six from Gangtok district, four from Mangan, and one from Namchi, the SSDMA said.

Special radar, drones and Army dogs have been deployed for the search operations, officials said.

So far, 2,563 people have been rescued from different areas and 6,875 people have taken shelter in 30 relief camps set up across the state, most of which have been cut off from the rest of the country.

The deluge also damaged more than 1,320 houses and washed away 13 bridges in the four districts of the picturesque Himalayan state.

More than 3,000 tourists stranded in Lachen and Lachung in Mangan district are safe, officials said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)