A Glacial Lake Flood In India Claims The Lives Of 40 People
This handout photograph released by the Indian Army and taken on October 4, 2023, shows a flooded street in Lachen Valley, in India's Sikkim state following a flash flood caused by intense rainfall. - The Indian army said on October 4 that 23 soldiers were missing after a powerful flash flood caused by intense rainfall tore through a valley in the mountainous northeast Sikkim state. (Photo by INDIAN ARMY / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / INDIAN ARMY" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / Indian Army" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS /
Officials have confirmed the tragic loss of 40 lives in a devastating glacial lake burst that triggered a violent flash flood in India. This catastrophe unfolded in the remote region of Sikkim, following the abrupt rupture of a high-altitude glacial lake located in Nepal, adjacent to the affected area.
Climate scientists are issuing warnings that such calamities will pose an escalating threat throughout the Himalayas as global temperatures rise and ice continues to melt. The torrential floodwaters carved a path through the landscape, advancing towards the Bay of Bengal, leading to the recovery of additional bodies by downstream search-and-rescue teams overnight.
V.B. Pathak, the top civil servant of Sikkim state, reported the retrieval of nineteen bodies from the affected region. Meanwhile, Shama Parveen, a district magistrate in the neighboring West Bengal state, disclosed that an additional 21 bodies had been located in her jurisdiction over the past three days.
Furthermore, nearly 8,000 individuals have sought refuge in makeshift relief camps established at various locations, including schools, government offices, and guesthouses, as indicated by a state government bulletin. The statement also mentioned the potential for evacuating stranded tourists via helicopters, with improving weather conditions forecasted for Friday.
It is worth noting that an earlier report by HERALD REPORTERS on Thursday had initially confirmed 10 fatalities and 82 individuals missing in the aftermath of the disaster.
