Glacier collapse may have triggered deadly Nepal flash flood, experts say
Scientists said a glacier collapse sent water, ice and debris downstream, and the US Geological Survey later ruled out an earthquake.
- On Wednesday, a catastrophic flash flood swept through river valleys in Nepal and the Chinese territory of Tibet, killing at least 31 people with hundreds of tourists reported missing.
- Geologists attribute the surge to an ice avalanche where a massive chunk of ice snapped off a glacier and blocked the Lhende River, causing water to accumulate before breaching downstream.
- Geologist Daniel Shugar noted satellite imagery showed the glacier break occurred about 65 kilometres north of Kathmandu, with ice falling almost 1200 metres. Scientists are investigating a 4.4 magnitude earthquake near the site.
- Nepal's Flood Forecasting Division warned that risks remain in the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli areas since the river blockage has not fully drained. Officials urged residents to stay away from rivers.
- Himalayan expert Farooq Azam said the region is "out of balance entirely" due to climate change and population pressure, echoing the 2021 Chamoli disaster that killed about 200 people.
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Devastating Nepal floods were triggered by glacier collapse, experts say — and there's a risk of more landslides to come
Devastating flash floods near the Nepal-Tibet border have left more than 330 people dead and more than 1,500 missing — including 65 from the U.S. — following a glacier collapse early Wednesday morning (Aug. 26), according to Nepalese authorities and Chinese state media.Data from a surviving water level gauge shows that the Trishuli River water level surged by 30 feet (9 meters) in just 30 minutes on Wednesday in the municipality of Galchhi, some…
Mohd Farooq Azam is a glaciologist at the Icimod Institute that studies the Himalayas. The summer was very hot and the glacier was sloping. First, however, it was the rock that gave way to the glacier.
The enormous devastation in Nepal and Tibet appears to be the result of a ticking time bomb that went unnoticed until it was too late. That is the initial assessment experts are making barely a day later regarding the broken-off glacier in the Himalayas. Although more clarity about what has transpired should emerge in the coming days and weeks, it is possible that this time bomb was set ticking partly by global warming. "In new satellite images…
A huge flood of water and mud rushes through Nepal and devastations entire villages. The exact trigger of the catastrophe is still unclear. Researchers, however, express conjectures about the actual cause - and the possible role of climate change.
A glacial collapse of more than 5,000 meters caused the tragedy in Nepal and Tibet. Know how the deadly allud was unleashed that swept through entire villages.
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