Nepal earthquake behind Sikkim disaster?

Scientists are exploring whether the strong earthquake that struck Nepal and the surrounding region on Tuesday is responsible for the south Lhonak lake outburst, which triggered a flash flood in the Teesta river basin in Sikkim.

The lake outburst also resulted in the breach of the Chungthang dam, which is the largest hydropower project in the state. This dam is part of the 1,200-megawatt (MW) Teesta Stage III Hydro Electric Project, in which the state government is the majority stakeholder.

Satellite images released by the Hyderabad-based National Remote Sensing Centre showed that the area of south Lhonak lake reduced by over 100 hectares compared to its size on September 17. This suggests that the lake outburst caused a flash flood in the Teesta River basin in north Sikkim.