Reconstructing a rough timeline of the South Lhonak Lake GLOF (04Oct2023)

I have talked to many, many people and have received an equal number of versions about when the GLOF started. Some say the lake outburst started as early as 9am on 03Oct2023 and became a full blown flood later;still others say it started between 12.00 midnight and 1 am on 04Oct2023.
What is true is in the early morning of 04Oct2023, in the midst of heavy rain and darkness, thousands scrambled to safer ground leaving everything they possessed behind, others were not so lucky and got swept away by the swirling, muddy waters of a river gone berserk. In an attempt to preserve the actual happening and time lines I am publishing screen shots of the telephone calls made and also the WhatsApp messages exchanged between two of my friends and me. One of them is in Kalimpong and the other in Mangan. I have not taken their permission to print this material as such I have removed all identities.

Hesitantly between 2.30 & 3.30am or so, I made many calls to friends both in Sikkim and elsewhere to verify the reports which were coming in. Most of the phones were either switched OFF or did not respond.

As per WhatsApp message received from the Kalimpong District Administration on STH Whats App group 'Hazard Alerts' at 2.49am, they had issued an alert in the low lying areas, another message at 2.50am from the East Sikkim District Administration reads 'low lying areas being evacuated'. These actions and alerts within the local communities made thousands move to higher ground at that unearthly hour - which is why they are alive today.
Screen shots of actual conversations and videos which were sent on Whats App in the early morning of 04Oc2023 are placed below (do understand that I was talking on the phone with my friends while the messages were also being sent) :

I have uploaded the first video sent to me at 2.52.36am on 04Oct2023 where a person says the 'the dam has burst, confirmed it has burst - let us run away'.

Praful Rao
Kalimpong district
Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya
savethehills@gmail.com
9475033744