Nepal searches for over 800 missing after landslide triggers deadly floods
A massive landslide on the Nepal-Tibet border unleashed devastating floods that have killed at least 165 people, with rescue teams still searching for hundreds missing, including 15 Latvians.
A huge landslide on the border between Nepal and Tibet has caused sudden, devastating floods, the BBC reports. Nepal's police have confirmed at least 165 deaths, while rescue teams continue searching for hundreds of missing people.
Initial earthquake reports later revised
Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs initially reported an earthquake near the border before the disaster. The US Geological Survey (USGS) first reported a magnitude 4.4 quake on August 26, but after analyzing satellite imagery and seismic data, concluded on August 27 that the activity was actually a glacier collapse and debris slide rather than an earthquake. A large chunk of ice may have broken off a mountain, dragging rocks and soil with it.
Simon Cook, a glaciology lecturer at the University of Dundee, said climate change-driven thawing of permafrost could increase the risk of similar landslides in the future, since frozen ground often holds mountain slopes together.
Damage and continued flood risk
Masses of rock and mud struck towns in northern Nepal, including areas popular with tourists and pilgrims, about 64 kilometers from Kathmandu. The Bhote Koshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers experienced extreme flooding. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development warned that debris carried into river systems could trigger another wave of flooding, and is currently assessing whether the Trishuli River is blocked at narrow points.
Nepal's disaster risk management agency reported on the morning of August 27 that 826 people remained unaccounted for, including more than 529 tourists. China's CCTV reported 558 people missing in Tibet, 260 of them foreign nationals, with three bodies found there.
Among the missing foreigners are 142 Indians, 53 Ukrainians, 54 Americans, 34 Australians, 33 Britons, 24 Canadians, 17 Malaysians and others, including 15 Latvian citizens whose whereabouts remain unknown. Nepal's prime minister said the country is in shock, while Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the use of all possible means for search and rescue and pledged improvements to early warning systems.
