Himalayan flash floods leave 74 dead, 100 missing

• Death toll in Indian Himalayan glacial lake disaster reaches 74.
• 101 people remain missing following flash floods triggered by the lake bursting its banks.
• Torrential rainfall in Sikkim led to the catastrophic event.
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In a devastating natural catastrophe, the death toll resulting from flash floods triggered by the bursting of a glacial lake in India’s Himalayan region has risen to 74, with 101 individuals still unaccounted for.

This tragic event occurred following days of relentless rainfall in the northeastern state of Sikkim, where torrents of water surged through narrow river valleys from Lohnak Lake, situated in the northern part of the state.

The disaster caused extensive damage to a dam and wreaked havoc in nearby villages and Rangpo town, located approximately 50 km (30 miles) south of the state capital, Gangtok.

Rescue operations have successfully recovered 25 bodies within the state of Sikkim, while an additional eight army personnel were discovered in the downstream state of West Bengal.

Among those still missing, 14 are members of the armed forces, as confirmed by a statement from the defense ministry.

The search for survivors remains challenging due to damaged roadways, disrupted communications, adverse weather conditions, and the arduous task of clearing away the mud and debris left in the wake of one of the most severe disasters to hit this remote region in over half a century.

In the neighboring district of Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, the top district official, Parveen Shama, reported the discovery of 41 bodies.

Sikkim, a predominantly Buddhist state with a population of 650,000 people, is nestled amidst the towering mountains, sharing its borders with Nepal, Bhutan, and China.

The region witnessed an astonishing 101 millimeters (four inches) of rainfall in the first five days of October—more than double the average levels for this time of year.

Lhonak Lake, the source of this calamity, is a large, bullet-shaped glacial lake located at the base of a melting glacier.

Scientists have long been concerned about Lhonak Lake, identifying it as one of the swiftest-expanding glacial lakes in the region, posing a significant risk of potential glacial outbursts, as documented in multiple studies.

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