Monitored glacial lake bursts in Bhutan, damaging roads and structures

Floods triggered by the bursting of the Sinthafu glacial lake in Bhutan's northern Gasa district have damaged a highway and the famous Tatopani area.

According to the Daily Bhutan, water suddenly surged out of the lake near Wakila mountain in Laya gewog on the evening of Thursday, October 29.

The floodwater reached Taktsemakhang at around 8:15 pm. The popular Gasa Tshachu hot spring area on the banks of the Mo Chhu river has been completely washed away by the flood.

According to the Daily Bhutan, a stretch of the Punakha-Gasa highway near the 31.85-km point has been entirely washed away. All vehicle movement has been halted until further notice. The road linking the remote Himalayan settlement of Laya has also been blocked.

Residents of at-risk areas, along with army personnel, staff and students, have been moved to safe locations, and warning sirens have been sounded.

Bhutan's National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology is monitoring water levels in the Mo Chhu and Puna Tsang Chhu rivers. Due to the risk of a possible glacial outburst, the Punatsangchhu-II hydropower project has halted production and opened its dam gates.

The Sinthafu glacial lake had been under instrument-based monitoring. Since the water flows into India via the Puna Tsang Chhu and Sankosh rivers, caution has also been adopted on the Indian side. The full volume of water released and the extent of the damage have not yet been confirmed.