West Bengal evacuates 12,000 as Sankosh River hits red alert
- Thousands of people have been relocated to safety in West Bengal.
- The Sankosh River is under a red alert following the lake burst.
- Residents reported the river turning black with dead fish flowing downstream.
- Minister Nishit Pramanik advised the public to stay away from rivers.
- Assam is also monitoring the situation and remains on high alert.
Authorities in West Bengal have relocated thousands of residents to emergency shelters following a glacial lake outburst in neighboring Bhutan that triggered widespread flood alerts across the region on Friday, October 30, 2026.
Estimates on the number of people shifted to safety vary, with The Economic Times reporting 12,000 relocations. The Statesman reported that over 10,000 people were moved to safety due to the flood scare.
More specific figures indicate that 6,000 individuals were evacuated in Alipurduar district. The Hindu reported that 4,000 people were moved to safety after the glacial lake outburst triggered a flood alert.
Alipurduar residents flee as Sankosh River turns black
Thousands of villagers in Alipurduar district were evacuated to emergency shelters starting Thursday evening after Bhutan issued warnings regarding a potential glacial lake breach. Approximately 1,200 people were evacuated from Sankosh Forest Village within 30 minutes after receiving warnings from relatives in Bhutan via a village WhatsApp group.
Residents in Alipurduar spent the night on the streets due to panic caused by the high alert status in North Bengal. Locals reported that the Sankosh River turned black late Friday night, with a large volume of dead fish flowing downstream from the Bhutan side.
Residents of Sankosh Forest Village, located on the Indo-Bhutan border in the Kalchini area of Alipurduar, discovered the river filled with muddy water and dead fish on Saturday morning.
Minister Nishit Pramanik warns public to avoid rivers
West Bengal minister Nishit Pramanik stated that Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts are on high alert. He advised the public not to enter the rivers.
Pramanik said the impact on Indian border areas was mitigated because the floodwater divided among multiple North Bengal rivers and flowed toward Assam.
High alert status across North Bengal and Assam
The Sankosh River is under a red alert status following the lake burst. North Bengal remains on high alert, and disaster response teams are activated to manage the situation.
Jalpaiguri district is on high alert due to the warning issued by Bhutan about a possible glacial lake breach. Assam is also monitoring the situation and is on high alert due to the flood originating in neighboring Bhutan.
Sankosh Forest Village infrastructure fails to withstand flood
Resident Utpal Dorjee stated that a barrier built in 2025 using bamboo and timber to prevent riverbank erosion has proven insufficient.
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