Scientists and government authorities were in the process of developing an early warning system for glacial floods at Lhonak Lake in Sikkim, India when the lake broke its banks, causing deadly floods. The system, which included a camera to monitor the lake's level and weather instruments, could have provided more time for evacuation. However, the camera lost power in late September, and the warning system was still in development. As climate change leads to the melting of glaciers, the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) is increasing in high mountain regions. India plans to install early warning systems at several other glacial lakes in the future.
Five people have died and 23 Indian Army personnel are missing after flash floods caused by a cloudburst hit the Teesta River in the Lachen valley of Sikkim, northeast India. The flooding resulted in the submergence of 41 army vehicles and the collapse of three bridges. Rescue operations are underway, with three people already rescued, and around 420 individuals have been moved to relief camps. Scientists attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of such extreme weather events to the human-caused climate crisis.
Seven tourists were killed and 13 others injured in an avalanche in India's northeastern state of Sikkim. The avalanche occurred near the Nathu La mountain pass and struck a road connecting Nathu La and the state capital Gangtok. Unseasonal rain and snow in the area were blamed for the unusual avalanche. Rescue operations are ongoing.
An avalanche in India's Himalayan state of Sikkim killed seven tourists near a mountain pass to Tibet, with at least 20 people rescued alive and eight survivors in critical condition. The cause of the disaster is not yet clear, but several avalanches have hit the Indian Himalayas over the last two years, killing at least 120 people. The incident took place at 11:30 a.m. (0600 GMT), and rescue workers called off the search for bodies as night fell.
An avalanche in India's northeastern state of Sikkim has killed at least seven tourists, injured 17, and trapped an unknown number of tourists. The incident occurred on the outskirts of Gangtok, capital of the Himalayan state, on the road to Changu Lake. The army said five to six vehicles carrying up to 30 tourists on the way to Nathu La, between Sikkim and Tibet, are feared to be buried under the snow. Rescue operations are ongoing at the site.
An avalanche in India's northeastern state of Sikkim killed at least seven people, with several more people feared trapped. The avalanche hit five to six vehicles carrying up to 30 tourists on the way to Nathu La, a mountain pass between Sikkim and the Chinese region of Tibet. Rescue operations are ongoing at the site, and the ecologically sensitive Himalayan region is prone to avalanches.
