Flood disaster: dozens dead and hundreds missing in Sikkim
Disaster struck the region when Lake Lhonak, a glacial lake in northeastern India, burst and overflowed as a result of heavy rain…
In the incident that occurred in the state of Sikkim, the flood waters caused the death of at least 14 people, according to the first findings, while the authorities announced that 102 people lost their lives when they were swept away by the waters. It was also stated that more than 22 thousand people were affected in this incident, which was recorded as the biggest disaster in Sikkim in the last 50 years.
About two-thirds of the overflowing glacial lake appears to have disappeared.
These disasters have been reported to have occurred recently due to global warming, but the effects of glacial lake calving and overflow are much greater. Indian authorities announced that Sikkim received approximately 101 mm of rain, twice the seasonal norm, in the first five days of October, and that this flooding was the worst since October 1968. Approximately 1,000 people lost their lives in the floods of 1968.
Authorities warned that rains would continue in Sikkim and the states in the region. While search and rescue efforts continue in the region, it was also reported that 22 of the 102 missing people were military personnel.
Satellite images shared by the British news agency Reuters show that about two-thirds of the lake has disappeared. About 650 thousand people live in Sikkim, which is located in the mountainous region between Nepal, Bhutan and China.