Bhutan’s October 29 lake flood prompts orders to evacuate over 10,000 people in India
A Bhutan lake outburst damaged Gasa Tshachu hot springs and prompted flood alerts in West Bengal and Assam, with no injuries reported at the site.
- An outburst from Sintaphu Lake in Bhutan on October 29 sent a surge of floodwater downstream towards India.
- The floodwater flowed from Bhutan's Mo Chhu River into India's Sankosh River, threatening riverside communities.
- Authorities in West Bengal, India, ordered the evacuation of more than 10,000 people in the Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts.
- India's National Disaster Response Force was deployed to vulnerable areas as West Bengal issued a red alert, its highest warning level.
An outburst from Sintaphu Lake in Bhutan’s northern Gasa district on the night of October 29, 2026 sent floodwater downstream towards India, prompting orders to evacuate more than 10,000 people in West Bengal.
Water surged into Bhutan’s Mo Chhu River before flowing across the border into India’s Sankosh River, threatening riverside communities. Nation TV put the volume released from the lake at more than 7.4 million cubic metres.
Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) reported no deaths or injuries at Gasa Tshachu, a popular natural hot-spring destination where infrastructure was badly damaged. People in the area had been evacuated before the floodwater arrived, according to Bhutanese newspaper Kuensel.
Two Bhutan bridges feared swept away
Two Bailey bridges, a type of portable bridge assembled from prefabricated steel sections, may have been swept away, BBS reported. Darkness and powerful currents prevented an immediate assessment of the full damage from the late-night flood.
Kuensel reported that sections of the road towards Laya village had been washed away, leaving the route impassable. The road was closed to traffic indefinitely.
West Bengal orders evacuations as Assam watches river levels
West Bengal issued a red alert, described as its highest warning level, while Assam instructed the Dhubri district administration to prepare for a possible sudden rise in river levels.
West Bengal authorities ordered local agencies to move more than 10,000 people to higher ground in Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts and vulnerable areas along tributary riverbanks.
India’s National Disaster Response Force deployed personnel to vulnerable locations to provide assistance and conduct rescue operations around the clock.
Bhutan’s National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology was monitoring the Mo Chhu at Tashithang and had informed India of the flood, The Bhutanese reported in an October 29 post.
