The Indian Army has reported that 23 soldiers are unaccounted for following a devastating flash flood triggered by heavy rain in the remote valley of northeastern Sikkim state. According to an army statement released on Wednesday, personnel and vehicles were engulfed by the flood.
“Due to a sudden cloud burst 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 to be submerged beneath the slush. Search operations are currently in progress,” the army stated.
This remote region is situated near India’s border with Nepal, and Lhonak Lake is nestled at the foot of a glacier surrounded by the snowy peaks that encompass Kangchenjunga, the third-highest mountain in the world.
The army noted that the release of water from the Chungthang dam upstream had caused the river to swell to over 4.5 meters (15 feet) above its normal level.
A video shared by an Indian army spokesperson depicted a powerful torrent of muddy water surging through a densely wooded valley, causing roads to be washed away and power lines to be torn down.
Flash floods typically occur during the monsoon season, which starts in June and usually retreats from the Indian subcontinent by September’s end. By October, the heaviest monsoon rains typically subside.
Climate change is believed to be increasing both the frequency and severity of these flash floods.
Additional photos shared by the army depicted water engulfing the first floor of buildings and streaming down a town’s streets, with only the tip of a small construction crane visible above the surface.
Local media displayed Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang holding an umbrella while discussing flood-related issues in the town of Singtam, further downstream from where the missing soldiers were last seen.
The monsoon is a result of the subcontinent’s summer heat warming the landmass, causing the air to rise and draw in cooler Indian Ocean winds that generate substantial rainfall. However, it also brings destruction every year in the form of landslides and floods.
Melting glaciers contribute to the increased water volume, while unregulated construction in flood-prone regions exacerbates the damage.
Himalayan glaciers are melting at an accelerated rate due to climate change, exposing communities to unpredictable and costly disasters. A report in June by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) revealed that glaciers vanished 65 percent faster from 2011 to 2020 compared to the previous decade. If current emissions trends persist, these glaciers could lose up to 80 percent of their current volume by the century’s end.
