A powerful flash flood in India has led to the disappearance of 23 soldiers, following heavy rainfall in the northeastern State of Sikkim, the Indian army said on Wednesday.
“Due to sudden cloudburst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim, a flash flood occurred in the Teesta River… 23 personnel have been reported missing and some vehicles are reported submerged under the slush,” the army said in a statement, adding that search operations were underway.
Lhonak Lake lies at the base of a glacier in the snowy mountains that surround Kangchenjunga — the world’s third highest mountain.
“Some army establishments along the valley have been affected and efforts are on to confirm details,” said defense spokesperson.
Around 15,000 people in the region were likely affected and at least eight major bridges were washed away by gushing torrents, Reuters attributed a top official of the state as saying.
The head of Sikkim State, Prem Singh Tamang, urged calm and said he had visited some of the affected areas.
“I humbly urge all our citizens to remain vigilant and refrain from unnecessary travel during this critical time,” he said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
India’s Meteorological Department warned of landslides and disruption to flights amid predictions of rainfall in some parts of Sikkim in the coming days.
The department said that a low-pressure system moving eastward across several states was responsible for the cloudburst in Sikkim.
Rainfall over the lake caused the flooding in the Lachen valley, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) north of Gangtok, Sikkim’s capital.
The main highway linking Sikkim to West Bengal State was damaged and road access to Sikkim capital, Gangtok, was entirely cut off, according to army spokesperson Anjan Basumatary.
Besides Sikkim, several other States like Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal were also likely to see rainfall over the next few days.
AFP, Reuters/ Oluwayemisi Owonikoko
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