Sikkim Flood Leaves Trail Of Devastation

The Sikkim flash flood, in which 14 people have been killed and 102 others are missing, has been so intense because it was the result of a cloudburst causing a glacial lake to overflow. A glacial lake outburst flood, or GLOF, usually results in more damage and destruction than a flood caused by excess rainfall alone. Around 1 am on Wednesday, the South Lhonak Lake, a glacial lake in the upper reaches of Sikkim, burst its banks following a cloudburst in the area. The lake is around 17,000 feet above sea level and satellite images showed that nearly 65% of its water was drained, flooding the Teesta River.