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Glacier collapse triggers deadly flood across Nepal and China
🇳🇵 Nepal /Disasters & Emergencies

Glacier collapse triggers deadly flood across Nepal and China

From OnlineKhabar English · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • A massive ice and rockfall from the Langtang Lirung mountain on the Nepal-China border triggered a devastating flood and mudslide.
  • The disaster killed at least 616 people in Nepal and five in China, with over 2,000 missing on both sides.
  • Officials dismissed false claims of an earthquake or Chinese-side collapse, emphasizing the disaster's natural cause and the need for cross-border cooperation.

A catastrophic ice and rock avalanche from Langtang Lirung, a peak on the Nepal-China border, unleashed a devastating flood and mudslide on August 26. The debris dammed a valley, and its subsequent collapse sent a torrent of mud and water down the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers. This natural disaster, the deadliest transboundary event in the Himalayas in years, struck the Rasuwagadhi-Gyirong crossing twenty kilometers below.

This is not the moment for blame. It is the moment for facts, for science, for solidarity. Nothing else serves the people still buried in the debris.

Emphasizing the need for factual reporting and cooperation over blame in the aftermath of the disaster.

By August 29, Nepal reported 616 dead and China confirmed five fatalities, with over 2,000 people missing across both nations. A new lake, holding 2 million cubic meters of water, formed above the wreckage, raising fears of a second, potentially larger flood as an additional three million cubic meters are expected to arrive within three days. China's Ministry of Water Resources has warned of a potential breach, though the current flow has been less than anticipated.

An earthquake or earthquake-like glacier collapse occurred on the Nepali side of the border, triggering huge mudslides.

— China's embassy in KathmanduRefuting false claims and stating the origin of the disaster.

Amidst the tragedy, false claims spread online suggesting an earthquake or a collapse on the Chinese side caused the flood. China's embassy in Kathmandu swiftly labeled these as "fake news," stating that an "earthquake or earthquake-like glacier collapse occurred on the Nepali side of the border." The embassy stressed that "accusation helps nothing. Cooperation saves lives."

Accusation helps nothing. Cooperation saves lives.

— China's embassy in KathmanduHighlighting the importance of collaboration over assigning blame.

Scientific evidence, including satellite imagery and seismic data initially misinterpreted as an earthquake, confirms the landslide originated on Langtang Lirung's Nepali flank. The floodwaters flowed downhill from Nepal into China, a fact underscored by the basic principle that "water does not run uphill." The article emphasizes that this is a matter of physics, not opinion, and that spreading geographically impossible claims is harmful during a time of shared grief and rescue efforts.

Water does not run uphill. Debris does not cross a border against gravity to blame the victim on the other side.

Explaining the physical impossibility of the false claims about the flood's origin.
About this summary

Originally published by OnlineKhabar English in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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