Last rites of Assam soldier who died in Sikkim flash flood performed; stranded students on way back

Final rites of Armyman Mitul Kalita from Assam, who was killed in the Sikkim flash flood, was performed with full military honours at native place in Baksa district on Sunday evening, official sources said.A tragic loss for Assam as it loses a braveheart in Mitul Kalita of Indian Army, from Baksa District, in the unfortunate flash flood in Sikkim, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote on X earlier in the day.

Final rites of Armyman Mitul Kalita from Assam, who was killed in the Sikkim flash flood, was performed with full military honours at native place in Baksa district on Sunday evening, official sources said.

''A tragic loss for Assam as it loses a braveheart in Mitul Kalita of Indian Army, from Baksa District, in the unfortunate flash flood in Sikkim,'' Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote on ‘X’ earlier in the day. ''My prayers for the departed soul & condolences to the bereaved family in this hour of grief,'' the CM said. Kalita, a craftsman serving in the technical department of the Indian Army, was among the 23 soldiers missing initially, on the day of the flash flood on Wednesday. While one of the missing personnel was rescued later, bodies of nine, including Kalita’s, have been recovered so far.

Kalita, aged 31 years, worked in Alipurduar and he had gone to Sikkim on departmental orders.

A pall of gloom descended in Anandabazar area of Baksa, from when he hailed, as the body reached home.

State Cabinet Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass and the superintendent of police, among others, paid their last respects to the soldier.

Meanwhile, students from the state stranded in Sikkim are expected to reach Assam late on Sunday night.

The state government had deputed two senior officials to get the students stranded in the Himalayan state back home.

Megh Nidhi Dahal, among the officers given the task, told PTI that 124 students are being brought back.

''These students were mostly on their college campuses. They wanted to return home and we have facilitated it,'' he said, adding that buses carrying the team should enter Assam through the West Bengal border later on Sunday night.