Guwahati, India:
The death toll from a devastating glacial lake burst that triggered torrential floods in India has risen to at least 10 people, with 82 others still missing, according to officials.
Violent floods from glacier lakes made up of loose rock have become more common as global temperatures rise and snow melts, climate scientists warn are posing a growing threat to the wider Himalayan mountain range.
Indian Army spokesperson Himanshu Tiwari said, “Flood waters have wreaked havoc in four districts of the state and people, roads, bridges have been washed away.” AFP Speaking on Thursday, a day after a wall of water fell from a mountain valley in northeastern Sikkim state.
Officials said roads were “severely” damaged and 14 bridges were washed away.
“Ten bodies have been recovered so far and 82 people, including army personnel, are missing,” Sikkim state Chief Secretary Vijay Bhushan Pathak told reporters late on Wednesday night.
The army said that 22 soldiers were also among the missing. A soldier already missing was rescued.
The surge of water came after intense rainfall burst the high-altitude Lhonak Lake, which lies at the base of a glacier in the peaks surrounding Kangchenjunga, the world’s third highest mountain.
The Sikkim state government said a wall of water flowed downstream, joining a river already swollen by monsoon rains, damaging a dam, washing away homes and bridges. and is causing “serious destruction”.
Damage was recorded more than 120 kilometers (75 mi) down, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised “all possible assistance” to those affected.
Satellite images released by the Indian Space Research Organization showed that Lahonak Lake has shrunk by about two-thirds in size, with an area equivalent to about 150 football pitches (105 hectares).
According to the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) research group, Himalayan glaciers are melting faster than ever due to climate change, leaving communities facing unexpected and costly disasters.
Miriam Jackson, a snow scientist who specializes in monitoring the Himalayan region along with Nepal, said, “Intense rains have led to this catastrophic situation in Sikkim, where the rains have caused a glacial lake to flood and a dam to be damaged. and there was loss of life and property.” ICIMOD based.
“We see the frequency of such extreme events increasing as the climate continues to warm and take us into uncharted territory.”
Climate scientists say Earth’s average surface temperature has risen about 1.2 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times, but high-mountain regions around the world have warmed at twice that rate.
Sikkim is close to India’s borders with Nepal and China, and boasts a large military presence.
India has been wary of China’s growing military aggression and their 3,500-kilometre (2,200 mi) shared border has been a perennial source of tension, with Beijing claiming parts of Sikkim.
