Catastrophic Flood Strikes Nepal-China Border: Hundreds Dead
Scientists said a 2,000-foot-wide ice section collapsed and sent debris-filled floodwaters through the border region, killing at least 160 people, AFP reported.
- On Thursday, the USGS confirmed that a massive glacial collapse and landslide triggered the Nepal-Tibet flash floods, correcting initial reports that cited a magnitude 4.4 earthquake as the cause.
- University of Calgary geologist Daniel Shugar estimated a 2,000-foot-wide section of ice detached from an elevation of 17,000 feet, with warmer conditions likely contributing to the structural failure.
- Nepal Police recovered 157 bodies by Wednesday evening, while more than 400 tourists remain missing including 340 foreign nationals; the deluge demolished bridges and inundated villages along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems.
- China's state broadcaster reported three deaths and 265 people missing in Gyirong, Tibet, as emergency workers struggle to access isolated communities and border officials remain on high alert.
- This incident highlights growing hazards in the warming Himalayas where retreating glaciers interact with steep terrain; a similar 2021 collapse in Uttarakhand, India, killed over 100 people, and experts warn upstream blockages could trigger another surge.
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24 Articles
A massive flash flood following a glacier burst in Nepal caused widespread devastation. Snow and debris from the Langtang Lirung Mountains caused rivers to overflow. More than 160 people were reported dead, and numerous bridges, roads, and hydropower projects were destroyed. By the morning of August 27, more than 160 deaths had been confirmed, and the toll was expected to rise.
Glacial collapse triggered deadly Nepal flash floods, confirms USGS
The US Geological Survey (USGS) has confirmed that the recent deadly flash floods in Nepal were caused by a glacial collapse and subsequent debris flow, not an earthquake as initially reported. The event, which originated in Tibet, led to 162 deaths and 750 missing persons, including 133 Indian nationals, in Nepal's Rasuwa and Dhading districts. The seismic event's magnitude was also upgraded to 5.2.
Probably the detachment of a huge mass of ice from a glacier, crashed 1,000 meters down the valley below
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