At least 31 people have died and dozens more remain missing Friday after flash floods washed away houses and bridges in India's northeast Sikkim state. Heavy rainfall on Wednesday caused a lake high in the mountains to burst, leading to major flooding that authorities said has impacted the lives of some 22,000 people. The death toll varied on Friday, with Reuters news agency putting the toll at 40 on Friday. Sikkim officials put the death toll at 18 on Thursday evening. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office announced relief funds for the state and deployed a disaster response team to help affected people, according to a press release by the government. Soldiers missing in floods The flooding, which began shortly after Wednesday midnight, was worsened after the waters cracked open a 6-year-old dam in the mountainous state of Sikkim. Floodwater then gushed through towns in the Lachan Valley, submerging army camps. At least 23 soldiers were reported missing in the floods on Wednesday, according to the Indian Army. Search and rescue operations are still underway. Vinay Bhushan Pathak, the state's top bureaucrat, said Thursday that 26 people had been taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Nearly 3,000 tourists and 700 taxi drivers were also stranded in the flood-hit areas, Pathak added. Latest deadly flood to hit northeast India The incident is the latest deadly flood to hit northeast India in a year of unusually heavy rains. Nearly 50 people died in flash floods in Himachal Pradesh state in August. Record rains in July killed more than 100 people over two weeks in northern India.

A powerful flash flood in India has led to the disappearance of 23 soldiers, following a cloudburst in the northeastern state of Sikkim, the Indian army said on Wednesday. "Due to sudden cloud burst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim, a flash flood occurred in the Teesta River... 23 personnel have been reported missing and some vehicles are reported submerged under the slush," the army said in a statement, adding that search operations were underway. Lhonak Lake lies at the base of a glacier in the snowy mountains that surround Kangchenjunga — the world's third highest mountain. "Some army establishments along the valley have been affected and efforts are on to confirm details," news agency ANI quoted a defense spokesperson as saying. India's weather department warned of landslides and disruption to flights amid predictions of heavy showers in some parts of Sikkim. The main highway linking Sikkim to West Bengal state was snapped and road access to Sikkim capital Gangtok was entirely cut off, according to army spokesperson Anjan Basumatary. Sikkim chief official urges people to limit travel  The head of Sikkim state, Prem Singh Tamang, urged calm and said he visited some of the affected areas in the state.  "I humbly urge all our citizens to remain vigilant and refrain from unnecessary travel during this critical time," he said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.  Rainfall in coming days India Meteorological Department warned of landslides and disruption to flights amid predictions of rainfall in some parts of Sikkim in the coming days. The department said that a low-pressure area moving eastward across several states was responsible for the cloudburst in Sikkim. The cloudburst over the lake caused the flooding in the Lachen valley, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) north of Gangtok, Sikkim's capital. The main highway linking Sikkim to West Bengal state was snapped and road access to Sikkim capital, Gangtok, was entirely cut off, according to army spokesperson Anjan Basumatary. Besides Sikkim, several other states like Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal were also likely to see rainfall over the next few days.

New York City authorities have declared a state of emergency after torrential rain caused flooding in some parts of the city on Friday. "I am declaring a State of Emergency across New York City, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley due to the extreme rainfall we're seeing throughout the region. Please take steps to stay safe and remember to never attempt to travel on flooded roads," said Governor Kathy Hochul on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Various media outlets along with residents of the city posted videos showing the extent of the flooding in a number of locations.  Roadways waterlogged Roads in the country's most populous city turned into rivers as heavy rainfall pummelled the metropolitan area. Flights into LaGuardia Airport were halted and then delayed, due to water in the airport's refueling area. Flooding also forced the closure of one of the airport's three terminals. The National Weather Service (NWS) had issued flash flood warnings in parts of the city after forecasts predicted heavy to excessive rainfall across parts of the Northeast, including New York City.  Warnings of more rain NWS meteorologist Zack Taylor said that as much as 6 inches of rain fell in some locations, including Brooklyn, lower Manhattan and John F. Kennedy International Airport in the borough of Queens. "More rain is falling," Taylor said, and warned: "This is seriously a life-threatening situation." Mayor Eric Adams urged residents to remain where they were if possible. "It is not over, and I don't want these gaps in heavy rain to give the appearance that it is over," Adams said at a news briefing. City officials say that there have not been any storm-related deaths or injuries reported as yet, but the flooded streets were impeding the ability to move around freely. The US east coast has been battered by a number of storm systems this year.  Scientists say climate change could result in hurricanes expanding their reach into mid-latitude regions more often.

Flash flooding in central Afghanistan has left more than 30 people dead while dozens more are missing, according to local officials. The country's disaster management authority told Germany's DPA news agency that at least 31 people had died over the past 72 hours. What we know A large number of deaths occurred in the central province of Maidan Wardak, where floodwaters rose while many people were asleep. Ministry of Disaster Management spokesman Mohammad Shafi Rahimi said 26 of the deaths took place in Jalrez district, situated 46 kilometers (29 miles) east of Kabul. Heavy rain triggered flooding which washed away or damaged hundreds of houses, most of them built of earth. At least four more died in Kabul itself. In a statement, the Taliban government called on aid agencies to help with emergency assistance, while offering condolences to bereaved families. Last year, an exceptionally strong monsoon season sparked various flash flooding events in eastern and Afghanistan, which caused the deaths of hundreds of people. The UN says that Afghanistan is highly prone to natural disasters, with the frequency and intensity being amplified by climate change.

Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) today (July 5) forecast that the water levels of the Teesta, Dharla, Dudhkumar Rivers of the country’s northern region may rise rapidly in the next 72 hours creating flash flood situation at some places there. “According to the numerical weather models of Bangladesh Meteorological Department and India Meteorological Department, there is chance of heavy rainfall in the Northern, North-Eastern regions of the country along with places of adjoining Sub-Himalayan West Bangal, Assam and Meghalaya states of India in next 72 hours,” said a FFWC flood bulletin in the morning today. The water levels of the Teesta, Dharla, Dudhkumar rivers of Northern Bangladesh may rise rapidly at times during this period creating flash flood situation at some places, it added. The bulletin also said the Brahmaputra-Jamuna Rivers are in rising trend which may continue in the next 72 hours. Besides, the Ganges River is also in rising trend while the Padma river is in steady state. Both the rivers may rise for the next 24 hours. The major rivers of the Upper Meghna basin in the North-Eastern region of the country are in falling trend which may continue in the next 24 hours. All major rivers, however, are flowing below their respective danger levels, the forecast said, adding that among the monitored 101 stations water level of 60 have marked increase while 39 recorded fall. One river station has been registered steady while gauge reading remained missing as data collection of the station has not started. The significant 147mm rainfall was recorded at Dalia, 80mm at Barguna, 74mm at Dhaka and 64mm at Cox’s Bazar stations in Bangladesh while 66mm at Cherrapunji and 29mm at Jalpaiguri stations in India in the last 24 hours ending at 9 am today. Source: BSS AH