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Nepal glacier collapse, not earthquake, caused deadly flood: scientists
🇱🇹 Lithuania /Disasters & Emergencies

Nepal glacier collapse, not earthquake, caused deadly flood: scientists

From Delfi · () Lithuanian

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

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • Scientists determined that a glacier collapse, not an earthquake, caused a powerful flood in Nepal.
  • The incident resulted in catastrophic consequences and is linked to climate change, which accelerates glacier melt in the Himalayas.
  • Eighty-two people are missing, including tourists from various countries, with concerns about potential double-counting of figures from Nepal and China.

A massive glacier collapse, not an earthquake, triggered the devastating flood in Nepal, scientists have concluded. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initially mistook the powerful icefall for a 4.4 magnitude earthquake due to seismic waves and satellite imagery. However, further analysis revealed the true cause: a glacial collapse and subsequent debris flow.

After analyzing data from seismic stations, seismic waves, and satellite images, the conclusion was made that the event was actually caused by a glacier collapse and debris flow, and no earthquake occurred.

— USGSExplaining the revised cause of the flood.

The incident has had catastrophic consequences in the surrounding areas. Nepal's glaciers are retreating rapidly, losing up to 15 meters annually, according to the World Wildlife Fund. This melting destabilizes mountain slopes and creates unstable water bodies, increasing the risk of deadly floods. Scientists point to climate change as a significant factor, with glacier melt in the Hindukush region, including Nepal, doubling since 2000.

This accelerated melting poses a grave threat to nearly 2 million people living in areas below the glaciers. Nepal is particularly vulnerable to glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), where melting glaciers form lakes that eventually breach their natural dams, sending a powerful torrent of water and debris down steep mountain slopes.

Glaciers in Nepal retreat up to 15 meters annually. These changes make mountain slopes unstable and form unstable water bodies, which can cause deadly floods.

— World Wildlife FundDescribing the environmental conditions contributing to the disaster.

As of Wednesday, 826 people are reported missing in Nepal, including 579 tourists from around two dozen countries. The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that one Lithuanian citizen cannot be reached. Chinese state media reported 558 missing in Tibet's Gyirong County, though it remains unclear if these figures overlap. The massive ice detachment occurred in Langtang National Park, about 60 km north of the capital Kathmandu, near the Nepal-Tibet border.

The rate of glacier melt in the Hindukush region, which includes Nepal, has doubled since 2000.

— ScientistsHighlighting the impact of climate change on the region.
About this summary

Originally published by Delfi in Lithuanian. 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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