Bhutan hot springs hit by flood from glacial lake burst

What the report says

A flash flood triggered by the bursting of the Shintaphu glacial lake has damaged Bhutan’s Gasa Tshachu natural hot springs, according to Al Jazeera’s reporting based on Reuters and Bhutanese media. The incident happened Thursday night in the Himalayan kingdom’s north, near the village of Laya, where the popular tourist site is located.

Bhutan’s state broadcaster BBS said no injuries or deaths had been reported, but the scale of the damage was still unclear because of darkness and fast-moving floodwaters. The broadcaster also said two Bailey bridges may have been swept away. Bhutan’s national newspaper, Kuensel, reported that part of the road to Laya was washed out and closed to traffic indefinitely.

Authorities were assessing the impact while also watching for possible secondary flooding, including concern about a large artificial lake that formed after river channels rejoined following the outburst. Residents in the Mochhu and Punatsangchhu river valleys were advised to stay alert and avoid riverbanks and flood-prone areas.

The flooding also prompted warnings across the border in parts of India, including West Bengal and Assam, according to local media reports cited by Al Jazeera. The hot springs were also affected by a flood in 2021, underscoring their vulnerability to changing river conditions in the region.