Sikkim flash floods: Death toll rises to 56, over 100 still missing

The death toll in the massive flash flood in Sikkim reached 56 on October 7. 

As per India Today so far, 26 bodies have been recovered from Sikkim, and 30 have been found in the basin of the Teesta River in West Bengal.

The search for at least 142 people, including Army personnel, is underway in Sikkim and the northern parts of West Bengal through which the Teesta flows.

The recent disaster as a result of the overflow of South Lhonak Lake is being closely monitored with the help of different satellite data. 

Also Read: Sikkim flash floods: Forest Minister Karma Loday Bhutia wades through knee-deep sludge in Naga-Chungthang road

As per the interpretation of the available images on October 6 2023 at 4.36 p.m., the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Sikkim has preliminarily inferred that there has been a detachment of the side wall (northwest side) of the lateral moraine (rocks and debris) of the South Lhonak Lake, measuring approximately 600m length x 225m height x 150m width from the surface level of the lake. 

As per the data available, the moraine eventually plunged into the lake.

The detached moraine fell and pushed into the deepest portion of the lake resulting in an overflow of a large volume of water from the outlet, which has led to widening and deepening at the outlet of the lake.

The image also depicts the decrease in the water level of the lake as a large volume of water has spilt over.