The flood began shortly after midnight Wednesday, when the waters of a glacial lake overflowed, cracking open the biggest hydroelectric dam in Sikkim state.
Political Cartoons View All 1202 ImagesIt wasn’t clear what triggered the deadly flood in the mountainous Sikkim state, the latest to hit northeast India in a year of unusually heavy monsoon rains.
The design and placement of the 6-year-old Teesta 3 dam, the largest in Sikkim state, were controversial from the time it was built.
Disasters caused by landslides and floods are common in India’s Himalayan region during the June-September monsoon season.
In February 2021, flash floods killed nearly 200 people and washed away houses in Uttarakhand state in northern India.
Persons:
Prem Singh Tamang, Lhonak, Storm Daniel, ___ Hussain
Organizations:
Police, Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority, International Center, Integrated, Development
Locations:
GANGTOK, Sikkim, India, Himachal Pradesh, Nepal, Derna, Libya, Uttarakhand, Gauhati