India flash flooding death toll climbs after a glacial lake burst

The death toll from devastating flash floods unleashed by a glacial lake bursting its banks in India's ecologically sensitive Himalayan region shot up to 40 on Friday, government officials said. The Lhonak Lake in India's mountainous state of Sikkim bust through a dam Wednesday after a cloudburst triggered rains and an avalanche, causing major flooding in the Teesta river.

The floodwater caused massive devastation, washing away or submerging 15 bridges and dozens of roads, cutting off significant sections of the small state in India's far northeast, which is surrounded on three sides by China, Nepal and Bhutan. The only highway connecting the state to the rest of India was damaged, making relief and rescue work challenging.