Number of dead and missing due to flash floods increases

Flash floods in the northeastern state of Sikkim have killed at least 14 people, officials said on October 5. Another 102 people, including 22 soldiers, are missing and 22,000 people have been affected.

Ấn Độ: Gia tăng số người thiệt mạng và mất tích do lũ quét

Flash floods in India cause massive loss of life and damage to infrastructure. (Source: AP)

Heavy rains in the Lhonak Lake area caused the water level of the Chungthang Dam upstream to rise, forcing authorities to release water downstream.

The move has caused flooding and flash floods in the lower Teesta River, near India's borders with Nepal and China. Search and rescue operations are facing many difficulties due to heavy rains, flooding and strong river currents.

Flash floods also injured at least 26 people and washed away 11 bridges, according to India's National Disaster Management Authority.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has warned that heavy rains will continue in Sikkim and neighbouring states over the next two days, posing a risk of landslides and disruption to air traffic.

Flash floods are common during the monsoon season, which lasts from June to late September in India. Usually, heavy rains stop in the country by October.

However, experts say climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of monsoon rains in the country.

Along with heavy rains causing floods, melting glaciers also create a large amount of water, while unplanned construction in flood-prone areas makes the damage caused by natural disasters increasingly serious.

Himalayan glaciers are melting faster than ever due to global warming, leaving communities facing unpredictable disasters.

Last June, the International Center for Mountain Development (ICIMOD) released a report showing that from 2011-2020, the rate of glacier loss was 65% faster than in the previous decade.