‘Rain, warming of Lhonak glacier led to deadly flood’

A team of scientists from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) is collecting data on the Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in Sikkim, which caused at least 14 deaths. They believe that a combination of rainfall and warming of the Lhonak glacier led to the incident. The glacial lake has since shrunk by over 100 hectares. The team is also investigating any potential links between the flash flood and the Nepal earthquake. The Lhonak glacial lake had previously been drained due to its susceptibility to outburst.