77 dead in India Himalayan glacial lake floods, over 100 people missing
- Some 3,000 people were still stranded in relief camps, while more than 1,200 houses have been damaged
- It was not clear what triggered the tragedy but experts pointed to intense rain and a 6.2 magnitude earthquake that struck nearby Nepal
At least 77 people have been confirmed dead in the floods that hit India’s northeast, authorities said on Sunday, with destroyed roads and bridges leaving thousands more still cut off despite waters receding.
More than 100 people are still missing with more than 1,200 houses damaged by the floods, according to official figures.
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.
The icy waters then cascaded through towns in the valley below, killing scores of people and carrying some bodies kilometres away downstream, where they were found in the neighbouring state of West Bengal and Bangladesh, police said.
Landslides and floods are common in India’s Himalayan region during the June-September monsoon season. Scientists say they are becoming more frequent as global warming contributes to the melting of glaciers there.