Flash floods kill at least 14 in northeastern India and leave more than 100 missing

Flooding has affected lives of 22,000 people in mountainous Indian state of Sikkim
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A flooded street in Lachen Valley, in India’s Sikkim state
INDIAN ARMY/AFP via Getty Images
Josh Salisbury5 October 2023

Flash floods in northeastern India have killed at least 14 people and left more than 100 missing.

More than 2,000 people were rescued after Wednesday’s floods, the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority said, but the search continued for more than 100 people.

Indian media reported that 102 people were missing and cited state government officials saying 14 people died in the floods.

The flooding occurred along the Teesta River in the Lachen Valley in Sikkim state and was worsened when parts of a dam were washed away. The disaster has affected the lives of around 22,000 people.

Several towns, including Dikchu and Rangpo in the Teesta basin, were flooded, and schools in four districts were ordered to be shut until Sunday, the state’s education department said.

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Residents being evacuated in Muguthang
INDIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENCE/AFP v

Parts of a highway that links Sikkim, the state capital, with the rest of the country were washed away.

Among the missing were 22 army soldiers, officials said, with one  later rescued by authorities.

Some army camps and vehicles were submerged under mud following the floods.

Eleven bridges were washed away by floodwaters, which also hit pipelines and damaged or destroyed more than 270 houses in four districts, officials said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office said in a statement that the government would support state authorities in the aftermath of the flooding.

The flooding was caused by cloudbursts - sudden, very heavy rains - which are defined as when more than 10cm of rainfall occurs within 10 square km within an hour.

The mountainous Himalayan region where Sikkim is located has seen heavy monsoon rains this season.

Nearly 50 people died in flash floods and landslides in August in nearby Himachal Pradesh state.

Record rains in July killed more than 100 people over two weeks in northern India, as roads were waterlogged and homes collapsed.

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