A powerful flash flood in India has led to the disappearance of 23 soldiers, following a cloudburst in the northeastern state of Sikkim, the Indian army said on Wednesday.
"Due to sudden cloud burst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim, a flash flood occurred in the Teesta River... 23 personnel have been reported missing and some vehicles are reported submerged under the slush," the army said in a statement, adding that search operations were underway.
Lhonak Lake lies at the base of a glacier in the snowy mountains that surround Kangchenjunga — the world's third highest mountain.
"Some army establishments along the valley have been affected and efforts are on to confirm details," news agency ANI quoted a defense spokesperson as saying.
India's weather department warned of landslides and disruption to flights amid predictions of heavy showers in some parts of Sikkim.
The main highway linking Sikkim to West Bengal state was snapped and road access to Sikkim capital Gangtok was entirely cut off, according to army spokesperson Anjan Basumatary.
Sikkim chief official urges people to limit travel
The head of Sikkim state, Prem Singh Tamang, urged calm and said he visited some of the affected areas in the state.
"I humbly urge all our citizens to remain vigilant and refrain from unnecessary travel during this critical time," he said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Rainfall in coming days
India Meteorological Department warned of landslides and disruption to flights amid predictions of rainfall in some parts of Sikkim in the coming days.
The department said that a low-pressure area moving eastward across several states was responsible for the cloudburst in Sikkim.
The cloudburst over the lake caused the flooding in the Lachen valley, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) north of Gangtok, Sikkim's capital.
The main highway linking Sikkim to West Bengal state was snapped and road access to Sikkim capital, Gangtok, was entirely cut off, according to army spokesperson Anjan Basumatary.
Besides Sikkim, several other states like Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal were also likely to see rainfall over the next few days.
