|
April 29: UPDATE Hundreds of people living along the banks of Punatsangchu in Punakha and Wangude were forced to leave their homes after the Gortho lake burst its banks early this morning.
The lake is located on the Gortho River– tributary of the Phochu. The lake burst its banks at around 3.30 am this morning.
The rumblings were first heard by a man living below Tsozur village. Tsozur village is located below Lunana proper. He saw water gushing out from the Gothor Lake. He then informed the Dzongkhag officials in Punakha and Wangduephodrang.
The concerned officials immediately alerted the people living along the Punatsangchu and Phochu River and asked them to move to higher and safer grounds. Schools and offices also remained closed for the day.
 | The Prime Minister Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley, the Home Minister and the Chief Operations Officer of the RBA Goonglan Woongma Batoo Tshering, the Chief of Police and armed forces also rushed to the scene.
According to the early warning system office in Wangduephodrang, the water level of Punatsangchu rose substantially by around noon but late afternoon it slowly subsided.
The Prime Minister described it as a low intensity flood and said it was not a false alarm. He said it allowed the authorities to assess their preparedness.
The Prime Minister also commended the prompt response from the armed forces and Dzongkhag officials of Punakha and Wangdue. | 