Glacial flood in Nepal kills 362, leaves 1,400 missing

A devastating glacial flood in Nepal has claimed at least 362 lives, with another 1,400 people missing, according to joint figures from Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. The disaster, which occurred Wednesday, sent a massive wave of water, ice, and rocks surging through a valley, devastating everything in its path.

Thousands of Nepalese military personnel, supported by air power, and Chinese authorities are currently scouring the mud-buried slopes in a desperate search for survivors. The flood originated from the explosive collapse of a large ice mass on a Nepalese glacier, situated between 5,200 and 5,500 meters in altitude. The U.S. Geological Survey and China's Ministry of Natural Resources reported that the impact of the icefall generated a seismic signal of magnitude 5.2.

The ice mass plunged over 1,000 meters into the Lhende Khola basin, a tributary of the Bhote Koshi River. It transformed into a high-speed avalanche of mud and debris, traveling approximately 20 kilometers in just seven minutes. This torrent overwhelmed the Gyirong border crossing and swept into Nepal. Scientists from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) recorded a dramatic nine-meter surge in river flow within 30 minutes at stations along the Trishuli River.

The region is a crucial starting point for major Himalayan treks and pilgrimages, including routes to Lhasa, Everest Base Camp, Mount Kailash, and Lake Manasarovar. Hundreds of Indian pilgrims were present in the area for the Janai Purnima festival, a significant event in the Hindu and Buddhist calendars, when the disaster struck. On the Nepalese side, Rasuwa serves as the gateway to the Langtang Valley and the Gosaikunda lakes, both popular trekking destinations.