Unusually heavy rainfall in October 2025 has caused severe flooding across Bhutan and parts of the eastern Himalayas. In western Bhutan, a technical failure at the Tala Hydropower Dam led to the Wangchhu River overflowing its banks, prompting flood warnings downstream in India’s North Bengal Dooars region.
Precautionary evacuations in Bhutan prevented casualties linked to the dam incident, but rising river levels have increased the risk of flash floods downstream. Landslides and flooding across Bhutan, northeast India, and Nepal have caused significant damage, with at least 28 deaths reported in Darjeeling and over 60 fatalities across the wider Himalayan region.
Bhutan’s National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology has alerted Indian authorities to the potential flood risk, while India’s National Disaster Response Force remains on standby for relief and rescue operations. The flooding has also affected tea plantations in North Bengal, inundating several estates and displacing thousands of people. With rainfall continuing, conditions remain critical and the risk of further flooding persists.
