(RepublicanPress.org) – In September 2022, CBS News reported that glaciers in Switzerland were melting faster than ever before. Glaciologist Matthias Huss said the problem was exacerbated by a combination of additional factors, including light snow cover in the Swiss Alps with a dust blanket from the Sahara. Unfortunately, this isn’t just a problem in the Alps but also extends to other glaciers and mountain ranges — namely the Himalayas in Asia.
On October 5, the same news outlet reported that a high-altitude glacial lake burst triggered a deadly flash flood in India. Indian rescue teams were searching for about 100 people missing at first, and by October 6, at least 41 people were confirmed dead. The burst reportedly happened after a rash of heavy rains in the region, sending water from the Lhonak Lake in Sikkim state down to the valley below. The flooding washed away 14 bridges and “severely” damaged the roads. Several houses have collapsed, military bases have been damaged, and vehicles are underwater.
Weather experts reported that Sikkim experienced double the rainfall it normally receives at this time of year. They described the downpour as worse than the floods of 1968, which claimed about 1,000 lives. Sadly, Mother Nature isn’t done. The weather department predicted more heavy rain in the region over the next three days.
The damage to the roads and bridges in the area has been making rescue efforts difficult.
The neighboring city of Bangladesh was on alert late last week because five districts in northern India were concerned about seeing rising water levels in the Teesta River downstream of Sikkim. Channel News Asia reported that thousands of tourists were stuck in Mangan district because of the damaged infrastructure.
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