Brief
Bhutan glacial lake burst forces evacuation of over 10,000 in Indian border districts
Thousands were moved to shelters after the lake released 7.4 million cubic metres of water, with no casualties reported as of Friday morning.
By Felo News Desk · Published
On Thursday evening a glacial lake at Shintaphu Lake, below Wakila Mountain in Bhutan's Gasa district, burst, releasing about 7.4 million cubic metres of water, according to the Independent. The flood surged downstream into India, prompting the water ministry to issue a special advisory for West Bengal and Assam that the surge would reach the border in six to eight hours.
More than 10,000 residents in West Bengal's Alipurduar district were evacuated to schools converted into relief shelters, while officials warned of rising waters along the Sankosh River. Bishal Lama, West Bengal's minister of state for home and hill affairs, said an alert had been sounded in parts of the Dooars region. Forest minister Manoj Kumar Oraon urged evacuation in a video message, noting the surge could reach Kumargram within an hour or an hour and a half.
Assam's chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on X that the state was monitoring the situation across vulnerable revenue circles of Dhubri and Kokrajhar, and that teams were in constant contact with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other agencies.
Bhutan's state broadcaster BBS reported that people were asked to move to safety and that no deaths or injuries had been reported by Friday morning. Daily Bhutan noted damage to the Gasa Tshachu hot‑spring complex and the Punakha‑Gasa highway, but the full scale of downstream impact remained unclear.
Key facts
- The outburst released roughly 7.4 million cubic metres of water. (independent.co.uk)
- More than 10,000 people were evacuated in West Bengal's Alipurduar district. (independent.co.uk)
- Indian officials warned the flood could reach the border in six to eight hours. (independent.co.uk)
- No deaths or injuries were reported as of Friday morning. (independent.co.uk)
- Damage was reported to the Gasa Tshachu hot‑spring complex and Punakha‑Gasa highway. (independent.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] independent.co.uk — originally reported as “Thousands evacuated amid cross-border alerts after Bhutan glacial lake outburst”
