Rescue workers were searching for more than 100 people on Thursday after flash floods triggered by sudden heavy rains inundated several towns in northeastern India, killing at least 14 people, officials said.
More than 2,000 people were rescued after Wednesday’s floods, the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority said in a statement, adding that state authorities set up 26 relief camps for more than 22,000 flood-affected people.
The Press Trust of India news agency reported that 102 people were missing and quoted state government officials as saying 14 people had died in the floods.
Among the missing were 22 army soldiers, officials said.
A soldier who was reported missing on Wednesday was later rescued by authorities, local media reported.
Several camps and military vehicles were submerged in mud following the floods.
Eleven bridges were swept away by floodwaters, which also hit pipelines and damaged or destroyed more than 270 homes in four districts, officials said.
Flooding occurred along the Teesta River in the Lachen Valley in Sikkim state and worsened when part of a dam was washed away. INDIAN ARMY/AFP via Getty Images Several towns, including Dikchu and Rangpo in the Teesta basin, were flooded, and schools in four districts were ordered closed until Sunday, the state education department said.AP
The floods occurred along the Teesta River in the Lachen Valley in Sikkim state and worsened when part of a dam was washed away.
Several towns, including Dikchu and Rangpo in the Teesta basin, were inundated, and schools in four districts were ordered closed until Sunday, the state education department said.
Part of the highway that connects Sikkim, the state capital, with the rest of the country was washed away.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office said in a statement that the government would support state authorities after the floods.
Part of the highway that connects Sikkim, the state capital, with the rest of the country is washed away.AP Part of the highway that connects Sikkim, the state capital, with the rest of the country is washed away.AP
The flooding was caused by a cloudburst – a sudden, very heavy downpour – defined as when more than 3.9 inches of rain falls within 3.8 square miles in an hour.
Cloud spray can cause severe flooding and landslides affecting thousands of people.
The Himalayan mountain region where Sikkim is located has seen heavy monsoon rains this season.
Nearly 50 people died in flash floods and landslides in August in the neighboring state of Himachal Pradesh.
Record rainfall in July killed more than 100 people in two weeks in northern India, as roads flooded and houses collapsed.
The flooding was caused by a cloudburst – a sudden, very heavy downpour – defined as when more than 3.9 inches of rain falls within 3.8 square miles in an hour. AP Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office said in a statement that the government would support state authorities after the floods. INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENSE/AFP via Getty Images Several towns, including Dikchu and Rangpo in the Teesta basin, were flooded, and schools in four districts were ordered to remain closed until Sunday, said the state education department.AP
Disasters caused by landslides and floods are common in the Himalayan region of India during the June-September monsoon season.
Scientists say they are becoming more frequent because global warming is contributing to the melting of glaciers there.
“This is, sadly, another classic case of a chain of cascading hazards that strengthens as you go downstream,” said Jakob Steiner, a climate scientist with the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, commenting on Wednesday’s flash floods.
Disasters caused by landslides and floods are common in the Himalayan region of India during the June-September monsoon season. INDIAN ARMY/AFP via Getty Images The Himalayan mountain region where Sikkim is located has seen heavy monsoon rains this season.AP Eleven bridges were washed away by floodwaters, which also hit pipelines and damaged or destroyed more than 270 homes in four districts, officials said. INDIAN ARMY/AFP via Getty Images
Earlier this year, the Steiner organization published a report saying that Himalayan glaciers could lose 80% of their volume if global warming is not controlled.
In February 2021, flash floods killed nearly 200 people and washed away houses in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
