Bhubaneswar, Oct 5: Odia jawan Saroj Kumar Das, who had been reported missing along with 22 other Army personnel following a flash flood in the Teesta River of Lachen Valley due to a sudden cloud burst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim, has tragically lost his life, as confirmed by family sources on Thursday.

Saroj Kumar Das, hailing from Kendudhipa in the Kamakhyanagar block of Dhenkanal district, was part of the Army team that had gone missing in the wake of the disaster.

The news of his martyrdom has devastated his family, casting a pall of sorrow over their village. Family members identified his body through a video call. Das had visited his family just two months ago, and his untimely death has left them in shock.

Manoj, the brother of the martyred soldier Saroj, expressed his grief, saying, “The Army authorities called us and informed us that they have recovered five bodies so far. One of them is our brother. We identified him through a mole. Our brother is no more."

Surprisingly, no one from the state government has reached out to the grieving soldier's family, and the district administration has yet to offer support.

Manoj lamented, "My brother laid down his life while serving the country. But, not a single official from the district administration or the state government has approached us. No one helped in locating my brother; we had to contact the Army ourselves."

It is worth noting that at least 14 people have lost their lives, and 102 remain missing following the cloudburst, according to reports. The Defense Ministry has confirmed that the search for the missing individuals is ongoing, although intermittent rain and thunderstorms have been hindering rescue operations.

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