The roof of the world collapsed: Causes of the catastrophic flood wave in Nepal

Scenes of apocalypse unfolded on the border between Nepal and Tibet as enormous mudslides and debris flows surged down, engulfing roads, houses, bridges, and entire villages. The catastrophic event, triggered by a glacier break, has resulted in a rising death toll in both Nepal and Tibet, with hundreds of people still unaccounted for. Among the missing are numerous tourists from 28 countries who were present in the popular trekking region at the time of the disaster.

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It was scenes of apocalypse: Enormous, huge mud waves and debris avalanches suddenly appeared. And they swallowed everything they found on the border between Nepal and Tibet: roads, houses, bridges – entire villages.

Rescue operations are proceeding slowly due to the challenging accessibility of the affected area. Initial speculation about the cause pointed towards an earthquake, but this has since been revised. Current assessments suggest that an ice avalanche on a 5,200-meter high Himalayan glacier blocked the Lhende River. This blockage created a temporary lake, which eventually breached, unleashing the devastating flood.

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The number of dead in Nepal and Tibet is rising steadily, and more than a thousand people are currently missing without a trace.

International satellite imagery has corroborated this assessment. The debris flow involved ice, rubble, and stones dislodged from a significant portion of the glacier. While Nepalese Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal initially informed parliament of potential earthquake links, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) indicated that seismic measurements might have been influenced by the glacial collapse and subsequent debris flow, rather than the other way around.

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The floods surprised even experts, as it did not rain at all on Wednesday.

The affected region is a popular destination for trekkers worldwide and a significant pilgrimage route for Hindus and Buddhists traveling to the sacred Mount Kailash in Tibet. The Bhotekoshi River, originating in the Tibetan plateau, flows through steep, narrow valleys into Nepal, making the area prone to such natural disasters. The long-term consequences for the region's water supply are yet to be fully assessed.

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According to analyses, a part of a glacier at an altitude of 5200 meters had broken off beforehand and slid more than 1000 meters towards the valley, dislodging ice, rubble, and stones.