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Deathly disasters in Indian Himalayas through the years

On Tuesday, floodwaters swept through an Indian village in the Himalayan state Uttarakhand and left more than 50 people missing.

Experts have blamed climate change and the widespread development of its slopes for similar disasters.

NOVEMBER 20,23

A road tunnel being built in Uttarakhand collapsed, trapping inside 41 people. The low-wage men, who were from some of India’s poorest states, were rescued after 17 days.

The authorities did not provide a cause for the collapse of the structure.

OCTOBER 20, 2023

In India's northeastern Sikkim state, a glacial lake burst caused by torrential rainfall led to devastating flooding that left at least 179 dead.

JANUARY 20,23

In the Himalayan city of Joshimath, nearly 200 people had to be evacuated after cracks appeared in hundreds of the buildings. Later, the unsafe structures were demolished.

Residents, geologists, and government officials have blamed the rapid construction of the mountain ranges for the weakened buildings and land underneath.

OCTOBER 2020

In Uttarakhand, heavy rains and unseasonal flooding washed out bridges and flooded roads, killing 46 people.

FEBRUARY 20, 21

A flash flood in Uttarakhand killed more than 200 people. It was a result of a torrential downpour that swept away two hydroelectric plants and hurled water, debris, and rocks into the Dhauliganga River valley.

Scientists believe the deluge was caused by a massive avalanche.

SEPTEMBER 2014

In the Himalayan region, Kashmir, flooding was unprecedented in its 50-year history. The Jhelum River, which flows between India and Pakistan, swelled as a result of unusually heavy rainfall.

Around 200 Indians as well as 264 Pakistanis died in the attack.

JUNE 2013

In northern India, 580 people died and almost 6,000 were missing after flash floods, landslides, and early monsoon rainfall swept away houses, apartment buildings, and vehicles. (Compiled and edited by Raju Gopikrishnan; compiled by Sakshi Dhal)

(source: Reuters)