the death toll has climbed to 40 in the aftermath of a glacial lake burst that unleashed a catastrophic flash flood in India.
This disaster unfolded in the remote state of Sikkim after a high-altitude glacial lake in neighboring Nepal burst suddenly, resulting in violent torrents. Climate scientists are sounding the alarm, cautioning that similar calamities will pose an ever-increasing threat across the Himalayas as global temperatures continue to rise, leading to accelerated ice melt.
Search-and-rescue teams downstream worked tirelessly to recover additional bodies as the raging waters carved a destructive path through the countryside, heading toward the Bay of Bengal.
Sikkim state’s top civil servant, V.B. Pathak, confirmed the recovery of 19 bodies in the region.
Across the border in West Bengal, Shama Parveen, a district magistrate, reported the retrieval of an additional 21 bodies in her state over the past three days.
The tragedy has forced nearly 8,000 individuals to seek refuge in makeshift relief camps hastily established in schools, government offices, and guesthouses, according to an official state government bulletin.
With improved weather conditions forecasted for Friday, authorities are considering the possibility of evacuating stranded tourists by helicopter.
This heartbreaking incident serves as a stark reminder of the growing vulnerability of regions like the Himalayas to climate-induced disasters, underlining the urgent need for proactive measures to mitigate these risks.