Indian glacial lake bursts bank in heavy rain

Indian glacial lake bursts bank in heavy rain.
At least 14 lost their lives, and 102 were reported missing.
Eleven bridges were washed away by the floodwaters.

Heavy rainfall led to a catastrophic incident in which at least 14 individuals lost their lives, and 102 people, including 22 army personnel, were reported missing in northeast India.

The tragedy occurred as a glacial lake overflowed due to the downpour, resulting in flash floods that cascaded down a mountain valley. This devastating event has profoundly affected the lives of approximately 22,000 people.

It represents the latest in a series of deadly weather-related incidents in the mountainous regions of South Asia, which are increasingly attributed to the impacts of climate change.

The search and rescue operations are being conducted under extremely challenging conditions, with relentless rainfall, swift currents in the Teesta River, and significant damage to roads and bridges.

This calamity was triggered by a cloudburst that unleashed a substantial volume of rain in a short timeframe onto the Lhonak glacial lake. The flash floods inundated the Teesta Valley, located around 150 kilometers (93 miles) north of Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim state, near the border with China.

The state’s disaster management agency reported 26 individuals injured and 102 individuals missing as of early Thursday.

Additionally, eleven bridges were washed away by the floodwaters. Disturbing video footage showed the deluge engulfing populated areas, resulting in the collapse of multiple houses and damage to army bases and other infrastructure. Numerous vehicles were submerged as well.

The meteorological department has issued warnings about the potential for landslides and disruptions to flights in the coming days due to expected further rainfall in parts of Sikkim and neighboring states.

Recent months have witnessed torrential rains, flooding, and landslides in various mountainous regions of India, as well as parts of Pakistan and Nepal, leading to numerous casualties.

Pakistan attributed unprecedented floods to climate change, which were caused by historic monsoon rains last year. These floods inflicted widespread damage on roads, crops, infrastructure, and bridges, resulting in the loss of at least 1,000 lives.

Pema Gyamtsho, the director general of the Nepal-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, emphasized the region’s extreme vulnerability to climate change, highlighting the recurring and tragic flash floods across the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region this monsoon.

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Indian glacial lake bursts bank in heavy rain

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