At least ten people have died and one hundred and two are missing in flooding in a valley in the state of Sikkim, northeastern India, linked to the overflow of a Himalayan glacial lake on Wednesday, October 4, Sikkim Director Prabhakar Rai said. known State Emergency Management Agency. An earlier report reported five dead and dozens missing, including 23 soldiers.
The army said there are currently 22 soldiers among the missing. A 23rd person was saved. The army is working to restore telephone connections and “provide medical assistance to stranded tourists and locals,” it said in a statement.
This remote mountainous region of the Himalayas lies near India’s border with Nepal. Lake Lhonak lies at the foot of a glacier near Kangchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world. The Indian Army said the level of the Tista River was 15 feet higher than normal due to a dam upstream that had previously released water. Significant damage extends for more than 120 kilometers downstream, with roads in the area “severely” damaged and fourteen bridges destroyed, authorities said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised “all possible support” to the affected population groups.
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Climate change
Floods and landslides occur relatively frequently in India and cause great damage, particularly during the monsoon season from June to September. But by October most of the monsoon is usually over.
Experts say climate change is making these disasters more frequent and larger. Melting glaciers also increase the volume of rivers, while unregulated construction in flood-prone areas can also worsen the damage.
Due to climate change, Himalayan glaciers are melting faster than ever, exposing residents to unpredictable disasters.
Glaciers melted 65% faster between 2011 and 2020 than in the previous decade, according to a report released in June by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development.
The report said glaciers could lose up to 80% of their current volume by the end of the century based on current trends in greenhouse gas emissions.