Following flash floods in northern Sikkim state, more than 20 Indian soldiers are still missing.
NEARBY DELHI — Following flash floods in the northern province of Sikkim caused by a cloudburst on Wednesday, the Indian army reported that 23 personnel were missing.
The Teesta River in Lachen Valley experienced flooding, according to the statement, which also mentioned that some army camps and vehicles were submerged by watery sludge and that search attempts were in progress. According to the army, the water levels increased as a result of water discharged from a nearby dam.
The Press Trust of India news agency was informed by defence officials that 80 local residents have already been safely evacuated. According to the organisation, early on Wednesday’s floods also destroyed a bridge over the Teesta River.
When more than 10 centimetres (3.9 inches) of rain falls in a 10-square-kilometer (3.8-square-mile) area in less than an hour, it is referred to as a cloudburst. They could result in severe flooding and landslides that would harm thousands of people.
This season’s monsoon rains were particularly strong in the steep Himalayan region where Sikkim is situated. In the neighbouring Himachal Pradesh state, flash floods and landslides claimed the lives of up to 50 people in August, while in northern India, record rainfall in July resulted in the deaths of over 100 people over the course of two weeks due to flooded highways and collapsed homes.
During the monsoon season, which lasts from June to September, landslides and floods frequently wreak disaster in India’s Himalayan area. Scientists claim that as glaciers there melt due to global warming, they are occurring more frequently.
In Uttarakhand, flash floods in February 2021 claimed the lives of about 200 people and destroyed hundreds of homes.
