By Globe News Report Staff
A catastrophic flood along the Nepal-Tibet border has killed at least 177 people, with some reports putting the toll as high as 270. More than 1,500 people remain missing, including over 800 foreign tourists. Scientists now believe the disaster was triggered by a collapsed glacier, not an earthquake as first reported.
What Happened
Officials initially believed a magnitude 4.4 earthquake caused the flood. However, the US Geological Survey later clarified that the seismic activity was actually a result of the glacial collapse, not its cause. The impact of the glacier hitting the valley floor was powerful enough to register as a magnitude 5.2 event.
A glacial collapse happens when a large mass of ice detaches from a glacier, sometimes carrying millions of cubic meters of ice, rock, and water with it. This creates a fast-moving avalanche or debris flow. Scientists say part of a glacier near Nepal’s Langtang Lirung peak broke off, crashed roughly 1,200 meters down into a valley, and triggered a massive surge downstream.
Water levels in nearby rivers rose by as much as 9 meters in just 30 minutes. Several water-monitoring stations were destroyed in the process, and homes, vehicles, and a metal bridge were swept away.
A Possible Climate Connection
Experts say a mix of factors likely caused the collapse. The Himalayas are still rising due to long-term tectonic movement, which makes glaciers in the region steeper and more prone to breaking apart over time. Rising temperatures from climate change are accelerating that process.
One glaciologist noted that while smaller glacier breaks happen regularly in the region, a glacier collapsing all at once, at this scale, is unusual. Researchers say Himalayan glaciers have been melting at a faster pace in recent years, which raises the risk of similar disasters in the future.
This is not an isolated event. In 2021, a glacier collapse in northern India killed around 200 people. Last year, a separate glacial lake flood struck the same border region between Nepal and Tibet.
What’s Next
Rescue teams are continuing efforts to reach areas cut off by the floods, though damaged roads and bridges have slowed the response. Officials say the death toll is likely to rise as search efforts continue.
Sources: from the BBC and Al Jazeera.