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New Footage Shows Where Glacier Collapsed, Causing Disaster on Nepal-China Border
๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ธ Serbia /Disasters & Emergencies

New Footage Shows Where Glacier Collapsed, Causing Disaster on Nepal-China Border

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

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

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • New footage shows the site of a glacier collapse on the Nepal-China border that caused a major disaster.
  • The collapse involved a large section of a glacier and triggered a massive landslide, forming a powerful debris flow.
  • Over 500 people have died, and around 1,300 are missing following the event, with five confirmed deaths in Tibet.

Newly released footage offers a clearer view of the devastating glacier collapse that struck the border region between Nepal and China, a disaster that has claimed over 500 lives and left more than 1,300 people missing. The images pinpoint the origin of the catastrophic event, highlighting the immense scale of the natural forces involved.

Satellite analysis indicates that a massive section of the Langtang Lirung glacier, approximately 600 meters wide, broke off on Wednesday in northern Nepal. Simultaneously, a colossal landslide was initiated, unleashing a torrent of water, mud, sand, gravel, and enormous rocks down the steep mountain valleys. This powerful debris flow moved as a single, cohesive mass, described by experts as akin to "liquid concrete."

The sheer force of the flood was so significant that it was initially registered as an earthquake. The destructive wave swept through the region, causing widespread devastation. Official reports confirm at least 547 fatalities in Nepal, with the grim search for the 1,300 missing individuals ongoing. Chinese authorities have reported five deaths in Tibet.

Among those missing is Enisa Lekoviฤ‡, a citizen of Serbia, adding an international dimension to the tragedy. The ongoing disaster has prompted extensive search and rescue efforts, alongside investigations into the precise causes and contributing factors of the glacier's collapse. The event underscores the vulnerability of mountainous regions to climate change impacts and the potential for sudden, extreme natural disasters.

It was like 'liquid concrete' from which it was impossible to escape.

โ€” Hatim SharifProfessor of engineering at the University of Texas at San Antonio, describing the nature of the debris flow.
About this summary

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. 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.