Indian Army Begins Search Op. for 23 Missing Soldiers After Flash Flood

By Staff, Agencies

The Indian army said Wednesday that 23 soldiers were missing, and some of its vehicles incapacitated, after a flash flood caused by an intense rainfall tore through a remote valley in the mountainous northeast Sikkim state.

"Due to sudden cloud burst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim, a flash flood occurred in the Teesta River," the army described the natural disaster in a statement, saying "23 personnel have been reported missing."

"Some vehicles are reported submerged under the slush," the statement added. "Search operations are underway."

The army stated the Chungthang dam upstream had released water into the Teesta River, which was already a dangerous 15 feet higher than usual.

A video released by an Indian army spokesman showed a thick torrent of raging brown water sweeping down a thickly forested valley, with roads washed away and power lines ripped down.

The remote area lies close to India's border with Nepal, and Lhonak Lake sits at the base of a glacier in the snowy peaks that surround Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain.

Flash floods are common during the monsoon season, which begins in June and normally withdraws from the Indian subcontinent by the end of September. By October, the heaviest of the monsoon rains are usually over.

Experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity.