Glacial lake bursts in India leaving 100 missing and 19 dead

CNN —

More than 100 people are missing in India’s northeast after heavy rain caused a glacial lake to burst, leading to flash floods which ripped through the Himalayan state of Sikkim Wednesday, killing at least 19 and washing away roads and bridges, according to the state government.

A “sudden cloudburst” over Lhonak Lake, in the northern part of the state, sent fast-moving torrents of water surging down the Teesta River in Sikkim’s Lachen valley, raising water levels 15-20 feet higher than normal, the Indian Army said in a statement. A cloudburst is a very sudden and destructive rainstorm.

Chungthang Dam, also known as the Teesta 3 dam and part of a major hydropower project in the state, was “washed away,” according to a statement issued by the National Disaster Management Authority on Wednesday night.

Drinking water supplies and sewage treatment plants have been “totally damaged” across affected districts, according to the state government.

Video from the north of the state shows a muddy deluge rapidly overflowing the river, and flooded houses caked in dirt and debris, while images show search teams using excavators to uncover army vehicles buried deep in the mud.

Rescue and restorations operations are underway with both state and national disaster personnel involved, the government said.

Known as the rooftop of the world, the ecologically-sensitive Himalayan region is prone to flash floods and landslides, and flooding is not unusual in Sikkim.

But scientists are clear that extreme weather isbecoming more frequent and more intense as the human-caused climate crisis accelerates.

High water levels in the Teesta river in Sikkim, India, on October 4. A vehicle that got washed away lies beneath a tree in Rangpo