At least 14 people have died and 120 are missing due to the overflowing of a Himalayan lake in the Indian state of Sikkim. Soldiers stationed at the border have been especially affected. The torrential rains on Wednesday, in a short interval, destroyed fourteen bridges and caused damage in four districts in the area, bordering China and Nepal.
These damages make rescues even more difficult, without forgetting that the army itself, stationed in the most risky foothills, is the first victim of the catastrophe.
The Lhonak glacial lake, at the foot of Kanchenjanga (the third highest peak in the world), has lost two-thirds of its surface since Wednesday due to the sudden overflow. No less than 22,000 people have been affected.
“Search operations are being carried out in conditions of incessant rain, fast-moving waters in the Tista River, roads and bridges washed away in many places,” a defense spokesperson said.
The ancient kingdom of Sikkim, where Nepalis are currently the majority, was annexed by India in the mid-seventies through a controversial referendum, becoming the smallest of its states.
The meteorological department warned of landslides and flight disruptions as more rain is expected in the next two days in some parts of Sikkim and neighboring states. Sikkim was cut off from Siliguri in West Bengal, its natural outlet to the rest of India, via Darjiling, when the main road collapsed.
The 120 missing include 22 soldiers – after the rescue of one – who were trapped by the flooding of the Tista River near the town of Singtam.
The flooding of rivers – up to six meters – and the collapse of bridges and roads has left tens of thousands of people cut off. Climate change and global warming have increased the frequency of this type of overflow in glacial lakes, according to experts.
