Deadly Nepal Flood Triggered by Supraglacial Lake Drainage in Tibet
Kathmandu : A deadly flood in Nepal’s Bhote Koshi River that killed at least nine people and left over two dozen missing was triggered by the draining of a supraglacial lake in Tibet, according to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
Satellite imagery confirmed the flood originated north of Nepal’s Langtang Himal range. Among the 19 missing in Nepal are six Chinese workers at the Beijing-backed Inland Container Depot. The disaster also destroyed the strategic ‘Friendship Bridge’ linking Nepal and China. On the Chinese side, 11 more people remain unaccounted for, Xinhua reported.
Supraglacial lakes form on glacier surfaces due to melting ice and pose a growing threat in the Himalayas. ICIMOD experts warned such climate-induced events are rising at an “unprecedented” pace across the Hindu Kush region.
Nepal, vulnerable to climate change impacts, faces increasing flash floods, landslides, and glacial lake outbursts. Since May 29, early monsoon rains have already claimed or displaced at least 38 people, according to the National Disaster Relief, Reduction and Management Authority.
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