Teesta dam power station destroyed in Sikkim landslide disaster; Horrific video surfaces

New Delhi: A devastating landslide struck the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation's (NHPC) Teesta Stage 5 dam in Sikkim on Tuesday morning, destroying the power station and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The disaster was not entirely unexpected, as the hill adjacent to the 510 MW power station had been experiencing frequent minor landslides over the past few weeks, posing a significant threat to the structure's stability. 

Landslide destroys power station

However, the catastrophic event that unfolded on Tuesday morning caught everyone off guard, as a massive chunk of the hill suddenly broke off and came crashing down, burying the power station under a thick layer of debris.

The timely evacuation of the power station a few days prior to the incident, prompted by the recurring landslides, ensured that no injuries or casualties were reported when the massive landslide finally struck, destroying the facility. 

Video surfaces on social media 

🚨 Breaking: A major landslide struck the NHPC Teesta Stage V HEP in Sikkim today, causing significant damage to the power evacuation building. The 510 MW project, which has its dam in Dikchu, was already impacted by last year's GLOF. #Sikkim #NHPC #Hydropower #RenewableEnergy pic.twitter.com/zEugalHomT

— Abhinay Bhandari (@AbhinayBhandari) August 20, 2024

Cloudburst and flash flood destroy Teesta dam

Following the disastrous cloudburst in Sikkim in October 2023, which caused the Lhonak glacial lake to burst, the Teesta Stage 5 dam has been rendered inoperable due to the resulting massive flash flood that inflicted extensive damage on the dam's infrastructure.

The calamitous floodwaters had a devastating impact on the Teesta Dam at Chungthang, the premier hydropower project in Sikkim, as evidenced by videos depicting substantial sections of the dam's wall being washed away, allowing the surging Teesta River to flow unimpeded through the damaged dam in the Mangan district of North Sikkim, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.