At least 14 people were killed and 102 are missing after heavy rains caused a Himalayan glacial lake in northeast India to burst its banks, officials said on Thursday. The Lhonak lake in Sikkim state burst its banks on Wednesday, causing major flooding that impacted the lives of 22,000 people. It is the latest deadly weather event in South Asia’s mountains.
Rescue operations are being hampered by washed out bridges and fast-flowing rivers. A defense spokesperson stated that the search operations are taking place under conditions of incessant rains and fast-flowing water in the Teesta river. Many roads and bridges have been washed away, further complicating the rescue efforts.
As of early Thursday, the state disaster management agency reported that 26 people were injured and 102 were missing, including 22 army personnel. Eleven bridges have been washed away. Video footage showed floodwaters surging into built-up areas, causing houses to collapse and damaging army bases and other facilities. Satellite imagery revealed that nearly two-thirds of the lake appears to have been drained.
The weather department has issued warnings of landslides and disruptions to flights as more rain is expected in the coming days in Sikkim and neighboring states. The main highway connecting Sikkim to Siliguri in West Bengal has collapsed, cutting off the region.
G T Dhungel, a member of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly, stated that petrol and diesel have become scarce in the state capital Gangtok, but food remains easily available.
The flooding was triggered by a cloudburst that dumped a significant amount of rain on the Lhonak lake. This led to flash floods in the Teesta valley, located about 150 km (93 miles) north of Gangtok near the China border.
Not only India but other mountainous areas in Pakistan and Nepal have also experienced torrential rains, flooding, and landslides in recent months, resulting in numerous casualties.
A decade ago, scientists from India’s National Remote Sensing Centre had warned of a high chance, at 42 percent, of the lake bursting its banks. This recent disaster was worse than a 1968 lake breach in Sikkim, as it involved the release of dam water from the state-run NHPC’s Teesta V dam, according to officials.