Flash floods kill at least 14 in northeast India, more than 100 missing

Rescuers were searching for more than 100 people on Thursday after flash floods triggered by sudden heavy rain inundated several cities in northeastern India, killing at least 14 people, officials said.

More than 2,000 people were rescued following Wednesday’s floods, the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority said in a statement, adding that state authorities have set up 26 relief camps for more than 22,000 flood-affected people.

The Press Trust of India news agency reported that 102 people were missing and cited state government officials as saying 14 people died in the floods.

Among the missing were 22 army soldiers, authorities said.

A soldier who had been reported missing on Wednesday was later rescued by authorities, local media reported.

Some camps and army vehicles were submerged under mud after the floods.

Eleven bridges were washed away by the floods, which also affected pipelines and damaged or destroyed more than 270 homes in four districts, officials said.

The flooding occurred along the Teesta River in the Lachen Valley in Sikkim state and worsened when parts of a dam were washed away. INDIAN ARMY/AFP via Getty Images Several towns, including Dikchu and Rangpo in the Teesta basin, were flooded, and schools in four districts were ordered closed until Sunday, the state education department said.AP

The flooding occurred along the Teesta River in the Lachen Valley in Sikkim state and worsened when parts of a dam were washed away.

Several towns, including Dikchu and Rangpo in the Teesta basin, were flooded and schools in four districts were ordered to close until Sunday, the state education department said.

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Parts of a highway linking Sikkim, the state capital, with the rest of the country were washed away.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office said in a statement that the government would support state authorities in the wake of the floods.

Parts of a road linking Sikkim, the state capital, with the rest of the country were washed away.AP Parts of a road linking Sikkim, the state capital, with the rest of the country were washed away.AP

The flooding was caused by cloudbursts (sudden, very heavy rain) defined as when more than 3.9 inches of rain occurs over a 3.8 square mile area in one hour.

Downpours can cause intense flooding and landslides that affect thousands of people.

The mountainous Himalayan region where Sikkim is located has experienced heavy monsoon rains this season.

Nearly 50 people died in flash floods and landslides in August in the nearby state of Himachal Pradesh.

Record rains in July killed more than 100 people in two weeks in northern India as roads flooded and houses collapsed.

The flooding was caused by cloudbursts (sudden, very heavy rain) defined as when more than 3.9 inches of rain falls over a 3.8 square mile area in one hour. AP Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office said in a statement that the government would support the state authorities. following the floods.MINISTRY OF DEFENSE OF INDIA/AFP via Getty Images Several towns, including Dikchu and Rangpo in the Teesta basin, were flooded and schools in four districts were ordered to close until Sunday, the education department said. status.AP

Disasters caused by landslides and floods are common in the Himalayan region of India during the monsoon season from June to September.

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Scientists say they are becoming more common as global warming contributes to melting glaciers there.

“This is, incredibly sadly, another classic case of a cascading chain of hazards that amplifies as you go downstream,” said Jakob Steiner, a climate scientist at the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, commenting on the Wednesday’s flash floods.

Disasters caused by landslides and floods are common in the Himalayan region of India during the monsoon season from June to September. INDIAN ARMY/AFP via Getty Images The mountainous Himalayan region where Sikkim is located has seen heavy monsoon rains this season. AP Eleven bridges were washed away by the floods, which also affected pipelines and damaged or destroyed more than 270 houses in four districts, officials said. INDIAN ARMY/AFP via Getty Images

Earlier this year, Steiner’s organization released a report that said Himalayan glaciers could lose 80% of their volume if global warming is not controlled.

In February 2021, flash floods killed nearly 200 people and swept away homes in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.

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Source: vtt.edu.vn

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