Glacial collapse triggers catastrophic Nepal-Tibet floods, killing 168
Nearly 1,500 people are missing across Nepal and Tibet after a wall of water, mud and debris swept through Himalayan communities, destroying villages, roads and bridges
KATHMANDU, Nepal (MNTV) — At least 168 people have been killed and nearly 1,500 remain missing after a massive glacial collapse unleashed catastrophic floods across Nepal and neighboring Tibet, sweeping away settlements and leaving rescuers searching for hundreds of tourists, pilgrims and local residents.
Nepalese authorities said Thursday that 165 bodies had been recovered across eight districts as search operations resumed along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems. Chinese authorities reported three deaths and 558 people missing on the Tibetan side of the border.
The scale of the disaster is particularly severe because it struck a Himalayan region heavily visited by foreign tourists and pilgrims. Nepal Police said 826 people remained unaccounted for in Nepal, including 579 tourists, while Chinese state media said 260 of those missing in Tibet were foreign nationals.
Nationals of India, the United States, Australia, Britain, Canada and several other countries are among those missing. Many had been traveling toward Kailash Mansarovar, a high-altitude pilgrimage destination in Tibet considered sacred by Hindus and Buddhists.
The disaster began Wednesday morning when an enormous mass of ice and rock collapsed in the Himalayas near the Nepal-Tibet border, sending debris into the Lhende River, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi.
Preliminary analysis of satellite imagery indicated that the collapse occurred about 20 kilometers northeast of the Rasuwagadhi border crossing. The debris appears to have blocked the river, causing water to accumulate before the natural dam gave way and sent a sudden surge downstream.
The torrent raced through settlements including Timure before entering the wider Trishuli river system and carrying destruction far downstream through central Nepal.
Videos from the disaster showed an enormous wall of muddy water and debris engulfing buildings and vehicles as people fled to higher ground. Entire market areas and settlements were swept away or buried under mud.
Early reports suggested that an earthquake might have triggered the disaster. The U.S. Geological Survey later determined that the seismic signal detected in the region was generated by the enormous collapse of ice and rock itself and said no earthquake had occurred.
The flood wave was exceptionally powerful. Researchers at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said water levels at one monitoring point on the Trishuli River rose by as much as nine meters, or nearly 30 feet, within half an hour.
Destruction spreads far downstream
The devastation extended well beyond the mountainous border district of Rasuwa as floodwaters moved through the river system.
By Thursday morning, 65 bodies had been recovered in Chitwan, 27 in Dhading, 26 in eastern Nawalparasi, 20 in Gorkha, 12 in Nuwakot, nine in Tanahun, five in western Nawalparasi and two in Rasuwa, according to the latest government figures.
At least 81 members of Nepal’s security forces were among those missing, including 44 soldiers, 28 police officers and 13 members of the Armed Police Force.
The disaster has also crippled transportation and communications. At least 19 road bridges were reported destroyed and about 40 kilometers of paved highway rendered impassable, cutting off communities and complicating efforts to reach survivors.
Authorities warned people to stay away from vulnerable stretches of the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers as the danger of further flooding and landslides persisted.
The government declared Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading disaster crisis areas, allowing additional resources to be mobilized for rescue and relief operations.
Helicopters search for survivors
Nepal’s army and private helicopter companies have been flying into areas inaccessible by road, evacuating injured and stranded residents and carrying them to hospitals.
At least 114 people had been airlifted to safety, while more than 40 injured people were receiving treatment at hospitals.
Authorities have also asked private helicopter and drone operators to coordinate with security forces in locating survivors. People stranded in inaccessible areas have been advised to create smoke signals to help aircraft identify their positions.
On the Tibetan side, Chinese authorities deployed hundreds of emergency workers along with vehicles, boats and search dogs. Chinese officials have also warned of continuing risks from unstable debris and water accumulating behind natural blockages.
India and China have offered assistance to Nepal, while international humanitarian support is also being mobilized.
The disaster comes just over a year after another destructive flood struck the same river system near the Nepal-Tibet border. Scientists say the latest catastrophe underscores the growing vulnerability of Himalayan communities to sudden hazards involving glaciers, unstable mountain slopes and glacial lakes, although determining the precise role of climate change in an individual collapse requires further study.
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