Heavy rain caused flooding and landslides in the Himalayan areas of India and Nepal. Officials say at least 10 people died in the disaster. Six of them were in India’s Sikkim state, and four were in Nepal’s Koshi province.
In India, about 2,400 tourists got stuck in Sikkim because of the bad weather.
Hem Kumar Chettri, a district magistrate from Sikkim, said, “It’s been raining continuously for the past 36 hours. We have found the bodies of the victims and returned them to their families.” He also mentioned that the rain damaged about 45 houses, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure.
Sikkim, a state in the northeast of India, is famous for its beautiful Himalayan views. It has 28 mountain tops, 21 ice formations, and over 200 lakes. However, being a mountainous area, it faces dangers like sudden floods and landslides.
Last year, heavy rain caused a glacial lake in Sikkim to burst, leading to many deaths. Scientists say that because of the climate crisis caused by humans, we can expect more frequent and severe weather events like this in the future.
Chettri mentioned that around 2,400 tourists are stuck in different tourist places in the state because landslides blocked roads with rubble, and some bridges got damaged due to heavy rain.
“He mentioned that although they’re stuck, they’re safe. They’ve arranged with hotel owners to accommodate them until the weather gets better. They’ve advised everyone to stay put,” he explained.
The state’s disaster response teams are working to clear the roads. “The damage is serious, so it’ll take some time. But hopefully, within a week, we’ll reopen the roads,” Chettri added.
India’s Meteorological Department predicted continued heavy rain in Sikkim on Friday. Nearby in West Bengal, flooding has caused trees to fall, buildings to get damaged, and the Teesta River’s water levels to rise.
While the northern regions deal with heavy rains, India has been facing an unusually long summer. Last month, a part of Delhi recorded the highest-ever temperature in the country, reaching 49.9 degrees Celsius (121.8 Fahrenheit).
These rising temperatures not only pose risks to health and economic growth but also threaten to undo progress made in poverty alleviation.