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Deadly floods in India’s Himalayas after lake bursts through major dam

Rescue workers are searching for nearly 100 people after flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall killed at least 40.

A vehicle is seen partially submerged in water
A vehicle is seen partially submerged in water after flash floods triggered by sudden heavy rainfall swamped the town of Rangpo in Sikkim, India. [Prakash Adhikari/AP Photo]
Published On 6 Oct 2023

Ice-cold floodwaters have swept through mountain towns in India’s Himalayan northeast, killing at least 40 people, washing away houses and bridges, and forcing thousands of people to leave their homes.

The flood began shortly after midnight on Wednesday, when the waters of a glacial lake overflowed, cracking open the biggest hydroelectric dam in Sikkim state and then cascading through towns in the valley below.

The Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority said in a statement that more than 2,000 people had been rescued, adding that state authorities set up 26 relief camps for more than 22,000 people affected by the floods.

Rescue workers were still searching for nearly 100 missing people, including 23 soldiers, after the floods also hit several army camps.

Vinay Bhushan Pathak, the state’s top bureaucrat, said that 26 people had been taken to hospitals with injuries, while nearly 3,000 tourists were stranded in the flood-hit areas along with 700 taxi drivers.

It was the latest deadly flood to hit northeast India in a year of unusually heavy monsoon rains. Nearly 50 people died in flash floods and landslides in August in nearby Himachal Pradesh state, and record rains in July killed more than 100 people over two weeks in northern India.

A man walks along a destroyed road near the damaged Teesta V power plant
A man walks along a destroyed road near the damaged Teesta power plant some 6km (3.7 miles) from Singtam in Sikkim. Parts of a highway that links Sikkim, the state capital, with the rest of the country were also washed away. [Pankaj Dhungel/AFP]
A general view shows the damaged Teesta V power plant
The Teesta III hydropower project, built on the Teesta river, took nine years and cost $1.5bn to construct. It began operations in 2017. [Pankaj Dhungel/AFP]
Indian army personnel conduct a search operation for the missing soldiers in north Sikkim
Army personnel conduct a search operation for the missing soldiers in north Sikkim. [Handout/India's Ministry of Defence via AFP]
People walk along the area affected by the flood at Golitar
People walk along the area affected by the flood in Golitar. Disasters caused by landslides and floods are common in India’s Himalayan region during the June-September monsoon season. [Wang Chen/Reuters]
A man carrying shovels walks along an area affected by the flood near the bank of Teesta River at Singtam
A man carrying shovels walks along an area affected by the flood near the bank of the Teesta river in Singtam. [Wang Chen/Reuters]
members of the Indian Army during the rescue operation in Sikkim
Scientists say such disasters are becoming more frequent as global warming contributes to the melting of glaciers. [Handout/India's Ministry of Defence via EPA]
members of NDRF during a rescue operation in Sikkim
Several towns, including Dikchu and Rangpo in the Teesta basin, were flooded, and schools in four districts were ordered shut until Sunday. [Handout/NDRF via EPA]
Buildings are inundated after flash floods triggered by sudden heavy rainfall swamped Rangpo town in Sikkim
Eleven bridges in the Lachan Valley were washed away by the floodwaters, which also hit pipelines and damaged or destroyed more than 270 houses in four districts, officials said. [Prakash Adhikari/AP Photo]
Locals assess damage after flash floods
Locals assess damage after the flash floods swamped Rangpo. [Prakash Adhikari/AP Photo]