Nepal and China both warned of new flooding risks in the Himalayas because of two lakes that have developed along debris-choked rivers on either side of their border. Nepal’s disaster authority said water levels were rising in a lake formed by debris clogging a flooded site and that it was at risk of bursting its banks. It did not name the specific site. Chinese authorities warned that a newly formed lake at the confluence of the Tsogyal and the Purupqiangzangbu rivers was overflowing and might burst. More than 500 foreign…
Tag: China
Climate crisis could be destabilising mountain areas like Nepal, experts warn
The devastating flash flood that has ripped through the border communities of Nepal and Tibet has heightened fears that the climate crisis is destabilising the geology of mountain and polar regions, threatening millions of people. Satellite imagery suggests a glacier collapse high in the Himalayas was the primary cause of the deadly torrent of mud, water and ice that tore along the Bhotekoshi River on Wednesday. It swept away buildings and roads and left at least 360 dead and 1,400 missing. A magnitude 4.4 earthquake was initially blamed for the…
Race to get aid into Nepal and Tibet amid warnings flood lake could burst
The international community was scrambling to get aid into flood-stricken parts of Nepal and Tibet on Thursday as authorities warned that a lake formed at the site where the deadly torrents occurred was rising and at risk of bursting. The catastrophic flash floods that hit Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday, thundering down valleys and obliterating entire villages, killed at least 389 people and left more than 1,300 missing. Efforts to locate those unaccounted for – including hundreds of tourists from India, the US, Britain, Australia and Canada – have been…
‘Tsunami from the sky:’ floods leave trail of devastation in Nepal and Tibet – The Latest
Hundreds of people are missing or have been killed after a catastrophic flash flood hit Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday. Entire villages have been destroyed, many of which are popular pilgrimage and trekking destinations for tourists. Lucy Hough talks to global editor Devika Bhat about how the devastating event unfolded The Guardian
How deadly flash floods unfolded in Nepal and Tibet – The Latest
Hundreds of people are missing or have been killed after a catastrophic flash flood hit Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday. Entire villages have been destroyed, many of which are popular pilgrimage and trekking destinations for tourists. Lucy Hough talks to global editor Devika Bhat about how the devastating event unfolded – watch on YouTube The Guardian
Search on for at least 33 Britons missing after flash floods in Nepal and Tibet
Rescue teams in Nepal are searching for at least 33 British nationals who are among those missing after flash floods ravaged its border with Tibet, killing at least 270 people. Nearly 1,400 people are missing, most of them tourists, authorities have said, after a glacier collapse triggered floods that roared down valleys and razed entire villages. The tour company Kailash Journeys confirmed it had not been able to account for seven UK nationals – five women and two men aged between 18 and 55 – travelling with it. Another tour…
Rescuers in Nepal Face Devastated Roads and Tough Terrain After Deadly Flood
As rescuers and security forces in Nepal and China raced to locate survivors and deliver desperately needed aid by air and road to flood-hit Himalayan valleys, their challenge was compounded by widespread destruction to transport and communications infrastructure. The raging torrent of water and mud on Wednesday damaged dozens of bridges and nearly 25 miles of paved roads, according to the Nepali authorities. Floodwaters had not completely receded in some areas more than a day after the disaster struck. Some villages and roads were left under a thick coat of…
China’s Information Control Could Hamper Flood Rescue Efforts in Tibet
As journalists in Nepal gather eyewitness accounts and up-to-date information about the deadly flood that swept entire villages away on Wednesday, the scene across the border in China could not be more different. By Thursday, videos taken and posted online by locals, including a widely circulated clip of a mudslide engulfing a border crossing in Gyirong County, in China’s Tibet, were censored on Chinese social media platforms. More than 500 people were missing in Gyirong, with three confirmed deaths in the county of about 2,000 people. The authorities have provided…
What caused the catastrophic flash flood in Nepal and Tibet – and how does a glacier collapse?
Flash floods that swept through the Nepal-Tibet border region on Wednesday have left scores dead and more than 1000 people missing. Here’s what we know so far, and what likely caused the disaster. Nepal flash floods: what we know so far On Wednesday morning local time, a landslide of ice and rock resulted in a torrent of mud, water and debris bursting the banks of the Trishuli river, also known as the Bhotekoshi, which runs between China and Nepal. Homes, roads, bridges and power plants were swept away. Officials in…
How the deadly Nepal and Tibet flash flood unfolded – a visual guide
The massive glacial collapse that caused catastrophic flash floods in the Himalayan border region of Nepal and Tibet has killed at least 165 people, though the number of dead is set to rise, with local officials saying more than 1,000 were missing. Officials said 826 people were missing in Nepal, among them 579 tourists from two dozen countries, including India, the US, Australia, Britain and Canada. Chinese state media said 558 people were missing in Tibet’s Gyirong county. It was not immediately clear if the missing counts were separate or…