Hundreds of individuals have been declared missing following an avalanche of ice and rock that led to extensive flash floods sweeping through regions of Nepal on Wednesday. The tragic event resulted in the loss of at least eight lives and inflicted significant damage to villages and infrastructure.
Authorities reported that 384 tourists, including 291 from various countries such as India, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia, were unaccounted for following the flash flood. Among the missing, over 100 were Indian nationals, as confirmed by the country’s tourism board.
The calamity occurred around 9 a.m. local time on Wednesday when the Bhotekoshi River surged, causing devastation to multiple villages, roads, and hydropower projects. Officials issued alerts to residents in several districts of Nepal, urging them to steer clear of the Bhotekoshi, Trishuli, and Narayani rivers.
Sasmit Pokharel, a spokesperson for the Nepali government, mentioned that assistance had been requested from both India and China to aid in the rescue operations.
The most severely impacted region, Rasuwa district, experienced flash floods reminiscent of those from August last year, which were triggered by a glacial lake overflow in neighboring Tibet, resulting in nine fatalities.
Experts from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development in Kathmandu suggested that Wednesday’s flash flood was likely caused by an avalanche from a glacier. The Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi River, bore the brunt of the flooding.
Saswata Sanyal, a specialist in disaster risk reduction at the climate research group, noted that the flooding was instigated by an ice rock avalanche from a glacier on the Nepal side, obstructing the river and unleashing a sudden surge downstream. He emphasized the importance of early warning systems in the Himalayan region to adapt to changing conditions.
The Himalayan area, spanning Nepal and nearby nations like India, is particularly susceptible to severe weather events due to rapid warming attributed to human-induced climate change. Recent studies have highlighted an increase in extreme weather occurrences, including heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and glacier melting, in the region.
Researchers at the Kathmandu-based group revealed that glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region are melting at an accelerated pace, with ice loss rates doubling since 2000, primarily due to escalating global temperatures and climate change challenges.