Quite disappointing

Flash flood in Sikkim: Five dead, 22 soldiers among 42 still missing

At least five persons died and 42 people, including 22 Army personnel, went missing on Wednesday after heavy rainfall triggered a lake outburst in parts of the highly vulnerable Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim and resulted in a flash flood in the Teesta river basin, officials said.

They said a search operation was on to trace those missing.

The Army’s Eastern Command said that some establishments along Lachen valley were affected by the flood, which was worsened by the release of water from Chungthang dam.

“Release of water from the Chungthang dam led to a sudden increase in water level up to 15-20 feet high downstream. This led to Army vehicles parked at Bardang near Singtam getting affected. 23 personnel have been reported missing and some vehicles are reported submerged under the slush. Search operations are underway,” it said in a statement.

Later in the evening, one of the missing soldiers was rescued. His condition was stated to be stable.

Sikkim received nearly 41 mm of rainfall between 8 am of Tuesday and Wednesday, which was almost five times the normal rainfall expected around this time, rainfall data from the India Meteorological Department showed. In fact, South Sikkim received rainfall that was 33 times more than normal while East Sikkim got 15 times higher rainfall during the 24 hours. The IMD has predicted more rainfall till October 6.

The state disaster management authority said the lake outburst had resulted in flooding in the Teesta, which flows through Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh.

Early in the morning, the Central Water Commission (CWC), in a post on X, suggested that the lake burst could have been caused by the earthquake in Nepal on Tuesday, but did not elaborate. CWC officials were not available for comment.

“The Glacial Lake Outburst Flood in portions of Lhonak Lake, Mangan district, which caused the rise of water levels with very high velocities downstream along the Teesta river basin in the early hours of October 4, 2023, has caused severe damage in Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong, and Namchi districts,” it said in a statement.

Lhonak Lake, located at a height of 5,200 metres above sea-level, is one of the several glacial lakes in Sikkim vulnerable to bursting under stress. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said satellite images showed that this is what seemed to have happened in the intervening night between October 3 and October 4.

“It is observed that the lake is burst and about 105 hectares (about one square km) area (of the lake) has been drained out which might have created a flash flood downstream,” the ISRO said in a statement, releasing satellite images of September 28 and October 4 for comparison.

The state disaster management authority said the floods had caused serious damage in downstream districts.

“According to the Central Water Commission, flood occurred at midnight on October 3… around 1 am on October 4, the major flooding of the Teesta river was reported from Chunthang… by 2.30 pm, the flood had reached the low-lying areas of the remaining districts, causing serious destruction to public properties and public infrastructure. The communication network under Mangan district surrounding Chungthang and its periphery has been affected,” it said.

Mahendra Chettri, Gangtok Sub-Divisional Magistrate, said five bodies had been recovered from Golitar and Singtam region, while three persons were rescued from Golitar. Several towns, including Dikchu, Singtam and Rangpo located in the Teesta basin, have been flooded with the upsurge in the river.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said three unidentified bodies were found near the Teesta Barrage area in Jalpaiguri district of North Bengal and those could be of victims from Sikkim. However, there was no immediate confirmation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang and assured “all possible support”. In a statement posted on his X handle, Modi said, “Spoke to Sikkim CM Shri Prem Singh Tamang and took stock of the situation in the wake of the unfortunate natural calamity in parts of the state. Assured all possible support in addressing the challenge. I pray for the safety and well-being of all those affected.”

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang visited Singtam to assess the damage. “I humbly urge all our citizens to remain vigilant and refrain from unnecessary travel during this critical time. It is essential that we maintain composure and hope for a swift return to normalcy in our region,” he posted on X.

Banerjee also expressed concern over the flood situation in Sikkim and assured all help to Sikkim government and Army in rescue operations. She also asked her government officials to make all arrangements to combat a possible flood situation in north Bengal and also in south Bengal.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed three teams and additional teams are on standby in Guwahati and Patna. Adequate number of teams and assets of the Army and Air Force are being deployed to assist the state in rescue and restoration efforts.

In Delhi, the National Crisis Management Committee, headed by Cabinet Secretary, reviewed the situation in Sikkim and emphasised on the evacuation of tourists and those stuck in tunnels. Several bridges in the state collapsed in the flooding, breaking off transport links.

The Central Water Commission also dispatched a team to ascertain the reasons for the flooding and assess the situation.

Express News Service – 2023-10-05 04:04

---

Quite disappointing

Flash flood in Sikkim: Five dead, 22 soldiers among 42 still missing

At least five persons died and 42 people, including 22 Army personnel, went missing on Wednesday after heavy rainfall triggered a lake outburst in parts of the highly vulnerable Lhonak Lake in north Sikkim and resulted in a flash flood in the Teesta river basin, officials said.

They said a search operation was on to trace those missing.

The Army’s Eastern Command said that some establishments along Lachen valley were affected by the flood, which was worsened by the release of water from Chungthang dam.

“Release of water from the Chungthang dam led to a sudden increase in water level up to 15-20 feet high downstream. This led to Army vehicles parked at Bardang near Singtam getting affected. 23 personnel have been reported missing and some vehicles are reported submerged under the slush. Search operations are underway,” it said in a statement.

Later in the evening, one of the missing soldiers was rescued. His condition was stated to be stable.

Sikkim received nearly 41 mm of rainfall between 8 am of Tuesday and Wednesday, which was almost five times the normal rainfall expected around this time, rainfall data from the India Meteorological Department showed. In fact, South Sikkim received rainfall that was 33 times more than normal while East Sikkim got 15 times higher rainfall during the 24 hours. The IMD has predicted more rainfall till October 6.

The state disaster management authority said the lake outburst had resulted in flooding in the Teesta, which flows through Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh.

Early in the morning, the Central Water Commission (CWC), in a post on X, suggested that the lake burst could have been caused by the earthquake in Nepal on Tuesday, but did not elaborate. CWC officials were not available for comment.

“The Glacial Lake Outburst Flood in portions of Lhonak Lake, Mangan district, which caused the rise of water levels with very high velocities downstream along the Teesta river basin in the early hours of October 4, 2023, has caused severe damage in Mangan, Gangtok, Pakyong, and Namchi districts,” it said in a statement.

Lhonak Lake, located at a height of 5,200 metres above sea-level, is one of the several glacial lakes in Sikkim vulnerable to bursting under stress. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said satellite images showed that this is what seemed to have happened in the intervening night between October 3 and October 4.

“It is observed that the lake is burst and about 105 hectares (about one square km) area (of the lake) has been drained out which might have created a flash flood downstream,” the ISRO said in a statement, releasing satellite images of September 28 and October 4 for comparison.

The state disaster management authority said the floods had caused serious damage in downstream districts.

“According to the Central Water Commission, flood occurred at midnight on October 3… around 1 am on October 4, the major flooding of the Teesta river was reported from Chunthang… by 2.30 pm, the flood had reached the low-lying areas of the remaining districts, causing serious destruction to public properties and public infrastructure. The communication network under Mangan district surrounding Chungthang and its periphery has been affected,” it said.

Mahendra Chettri, Gangtok Sub-Divisional Magistrate, said five bodies had been recovered from Golitar and Singtam region, while three persons were rescued from Golitar. Several towns, including Dikchu, Singtam and Rangpo located in the Teesta basin, have been flooded with the upsurge in the river.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said three unidentified bodies were found near the Teesta Barrage area in Jalpaiguri district of North Bengal and those could be of victims from Sikkim. However, there was no immediate confirmation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang and assured “all possible support”. In a statement posted on his X handle, Modi said, “Spoke to Sikkim CM Shri Prem Singh Tamang and took stock of the situation in the wake of the unfortunate natural calamity in parts of the state. Assured all possible support in addressing the challenge. I pray for the safety and well-being of all those affected.”

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang visited Singtam to assess the damage. “I humbly urge all our citizens to remain vigilant and refrain from unnecessary travel during this critical time. It is essential that we maintain composure and hope for a swift return to normalcy in our region,” he posted on X.

Banerjee also expressed concern over the flood situation in Sikkim and assured all help to Sikkim government and Army in rescue operations. She also asked her government officials to make all arrangements to combat a possible flood situation in north Bengal and also in south Bengal.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed three teams and additional teams are on standby in Guwahati and Patna. Adequate number of teams and assets of the Army and Air Force are being deployed to assist the state in rescue and restoration efforts.

In Delhi, the National Crisis Management Committee, headed by Cabinet Secretary, reviewed the situation in Sikkim and emphasised on the evacuation of tourists and those stuck in tunnels. Several bridges in the state collapsed in the flooding, breaking off transport links.

The Central Water Commission also dispatched a team to ascertain the reasons for the flooding and assess the situation.

Express News Service – 2023-10-05 04:04

---