Kathmandu, October 30: A flood triggered by the sudden release of a large volume of water from Bhutan’s Shintaphu glacial lake has washed away a section of a major road. Following the disruption of road traffic, the remote Laya region has been cut off from the rest of Bhutan by road.
Floodwaters from Shintaphu Lake, located in Gasa District in northern Bhutan, reached Taktsamakha at around 8:15 p.m. The flood damaged a section of the Laya Jokhang road, prompting authorities to close it to all types of traffic until further notice.
Bhutanese authorities have urged security personnel and other people deployed in vulnerable areas to move to safer locations. Precautionary measures have been taken in view of the potential risks, and neighbouring areas have also been alerted. No casualties have been reported so far.
Due to darkness at night, authorities have been unable to make a full assessment of the volume of water released from the lake or the damage caused by the flood. However, preliminary reports indicate that the impact could be extensive.
Following the incident, alert levels have also been raised in India’s West Bengal. Forest Minister Manoj Kumar Oraon has urged residents living along the banks of the Sankosh River to remain cautious in view of the potential risk of flooding in downstream areas.
According to reports, he has instructed the administration and concerned officials to contact residents in vulnerable areas and make arrangements to relocate them to safer places if necessary.
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