Guwahati, India – Indian rescue teams are currently searching for 102 individuals who are missing following a devastating flash flood caused by the bursting of a glacial lake at a high altitude. At least 10 people have been confirmed dead so far, according to officials. As global temperatures rise and ice melts, the occurrence of violent flooding from glacier lakes dammed by loose rock has become more frequent.
Climate scientists have been warning about the increasing danger of such floods across the wider Himalayan mountain range, including the melting causing them and their impact on the entire world.
“Prabhakar Rai, director of the Sikkim state disaster management authority, informed AFP that at least 10 people were killed and 102 others remain missing a day after a wall of water rushed down the mountainous valley in northeastern India.
Authorities have reported severe damage to roads and the destruction of 14 bridges. Rescuers are currently working hard to assist those affected by the flood, although communication has been cut off in many areas, and roads are blocked.
“Floodwaters have caused havoc in four districts of the state, sweeping away people, roads, and bridges,” says Himanshu Tiwari, an Indian Army spokesman, in an interview with AFP. The missing individuals include 22 soldiers.
The army is currently working on reconnecting telephone lines and providing medical aid to stranded tourists and locals, as stated in their official statement.
The flood was caused by intense rainfall, which resulted in water flowing over the banks of the high-altitude Lhonak Lake. This lake is situated at the base of a glacier in the peaks surrounding the world’s third-highest mountain, Kangchenjunga. The concurrence of Himalayan glaciers melting faster due to climate change and monsoon rains further amplified the water surge, leading to the damaging of a dam, destruction of houses and bridges, and serious destruction as described by the Sikkim state government.
The impact of the flood was felt more than 75 miles downstream, prompting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to promise “all possible support” for the affected individuals. Satellite photographs released by the Indian Space Research Organization revealed that Lhonak Lake has decreased in size by nearly two-thirds, equivalent to about 150 soccer fields.
Miriam Jackson, a scientist specializing in ice who monitors Himalayan regions with the Nepal-based ICIMOD, explained, “Intense rain has led to this catastrophic situation in Sikkim where the rain has triggered a glacial lake outburst flood and damaged a dam, and caused loss of life.” She further added, “We observe that such extreme events increase in frequency as the climate continues to warm and takes us into unknown territory.”
A similar tragedy occurred in 2021, where dozens lost their lives when a glacial lake burst its banks in the northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. According to climate scientists, the Earth’s average surface temperature has risen by nearly 1.2 degrees Celsius (about 2 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times, but high-mountain regions around the world have warmed at twice that pace.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
