At Least 22 Dead, Hundreds Missing After Glacier-Triggered Flash Floods in Nepal
An ice and rock avalanche from a glacier triggered flash floods in Nepal on Wednesday, killing at least 22 people and destroying villages, with hundreds of people, including foreign tourists, still missing.
Around 9 a.m. on Wednesday, the Bhotekoshi River suddenly overflowed after an avalanche of ice and rock from a glacier on the Nepali side blocked the river's flow before releasing a sudden surge of water downstream. The flooding has killed at least 22 people, while authorities report 384 tourists missing, including 291 foreign nationals from countries such as India, the United States, the United Kingdom and Malaysia.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that a mudslide disaster on the Nepali side also caused major casualties and missing persons near the Gyirong Port on the Tibetan side of the border. Footage aired by the broadcaster, which could not be independently verified, showed rushing water carrying tree branches and debris along with a flooded road.
Damage and rescue response
The floods destroyed several villages, roads and hydropower projects. Authorities warned residents in multiple Nepali districts to stay away from the banks of the Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers. Government spokesperson Sasmit Pokharel said Nepal had requested help from both India and China with rescue operations.
Rasuwa district, the worst-hit area, experienced similar flash flooding last August, when a glacial lake overflow in neighboring Tibet, caused by high temperatures, killed nine people and damaged a bridge connecting the two countries.
Climate change link
Experts at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said the flooding was likely caused by a glacial avalanche. They noted that the Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi, has now flooded twice within 14 months. Specialists point out that the Himalayan region is warming faster than the global average, making it more prone to intense rainfall, flooding and landslides. Earlier research from the same institute found that glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalaya region have seen ice loss rates double since 2000.
