Bhutan's Sintaphu Lake outburst triggers West Bengal and Assam alerts
Bhutan just faced a major glacial lake outburst in its Gasa District when Sintaphu Lake suddenly burst and sent floods rushing through roads and bridges.
The event didn't just cause local damage: it triggered flood alerts downstream in India's West Bengal and Assam, and even created a risky new lake nearby.
It's a wake-up call about how climate change is making these disasters more common in the Himalayas.
Himalayan glaciers shrinking raises GLOF risk
A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) happens when water trapped by melting glaciers suddenly escapes, usually because the ice or rock holding it back gives way.
These floods can wipe out infrastructure and put thousands at risk.
With rising temperatures speeding up glacier melt, there are now more glacial lakes. In fact, studies show Himalayan glaciers have lost around 12% of their total area and 9% of their estimated ice reserves between 1990 and 2020, so events like this could become the new normal if things don't change.