An earthquake was initially thought to be the cause; but by Thursday the US Geological Survey (USGS) said “a glacial collapse” was responsible for the disaster. “This event was initially reported as a magnitude 4.4 earthquake. Additional analysis of nearby seismic stations, long period seismic waves, and satellite imagery led to the determination that the seismic event was instead a glacial collapse and debris flow, and that no earthquake had occurred.” The USGS first reported the seismic jolt early on Wednesday about 66km (41 miles) north of Kathmandu, near the…
Tag: China
Glacial collapse caused huge flood leaving hundreds dead or missing in Nepal and Tibet
A glacial collapse triggered the catastrophic flash flood in Nepal and Tibet that roared down valleys, wiping out entire villages and leaving a preliminary death toll of at least 165 people, the US Geological Survey said. Rescuers on Thursday raced to locate the hundreds missing, including nationals from India, the US, UK, Australia and Canada. Terrifying videos from the event on Wednesday showed a massive wall of water crashing down on the border as people attempted to flee. Trucks were upended and houses, roads and power projects swept away in…
Deadly flash flood shown sweeping through valley toward village in Nepal – video
Eyewitness footage captured a flood sweeping through a village in Nepal’s Himalayan region after a massive collapse of mud and rock triggered catastrophic flooding near the border with China’s Tibet region. The video, filmed near Betrawati Bazaar in Uttargaya municipality, showed a torrent of flood water, mud and debris rushing down a mountainside and covering part of a settlement. The Guardian
Nepal flash flood live updates: search on for hundreds missing near Tibet border as officials warn death toll could rise higher
From 51m ago Summary: at least 160 killed in Nepal flash flood as search for hundreds missing continues Authorities in Nepal and Tibet have said they fear the death toll from catastrophic flooding could be much higher than 160 people already killed, as search and rescue efforts to locate the hundreds missing continue. A huge wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river on the Himalayan border of Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday, triggering the flash flood that washed away houses, roads and border crossings. Verified videos showed dozens…
Mudslide submerges China-Nepal crossing point – video
CCTV footage from the border between Nepal and China shows a mudslide engulfing a crossing point. People were seen attempting to flee moments before buildings and vehicles were submerged in mud and water in Tibet’s Gyirong County. Drone footage of flash floods show severe damage to villages along the banks of the Bhote Koshi River in Nepal. Hundreds of people are missing after the floods The Guardian
Girl, 13, among missing British citizens after flash flood in Nepal
Twelve British citizens including a 13-year-old girl are among 384 travellers missing after a flash flood in the Rasuwa district of Nepal, according to reports. The Nepali tourist board said the “sudden” flood happened on the Tibetan side of the Bhote Koshi River at about 8.30am local time on Wednesday. It said 12 Britons, four South Africans and four Nepalis were in the area with Alpine Eco Trek. The company, which offers guided tours and expeditions in Nepal, confirmed that 12 British nationals on its tour across the Nepal-Tibet border…
‘Major casualties’ feared after flash floods along Nepal-Tibet border
Hundreds are missing and at least 22 people have died after torrential floods hit the Himalayan border areas of Nepal and in Tibet in China. Houses, roads, bridges and power projects were swept away in Nepal while officials in Tibet said they feared “major casualties” with some missing in the county of Gyirong after a mudslide hit a land crossing between the neighbours. Officials said 384 tourists, including 291 from countries including India, the United States, the United Kingdom and Malaysia, were reported missing Rescue helicopters could not land in…
Around the world, people are rejecting divisive and dangerous politics. We can – and must – build on that | Gordon Brown
Britain’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, is already having to make one of his gravest decisions. He has to issue the instructions that he alone gives to the military, setting out the UK response in a doomsday scenario of a nuclear weapons attack on us. He will, as I did two decades ago, sign a piece of paper telling commanders whether or not to retaliate and, if so, whether through targeting civilian conurbations or military sites. These instructions are written down in the aptly named “letter of last resort”. Now,…
Typhoon Narra: record flood waters submerge homes and force mass evacuations in China
Widespread flooding triggered by Typhoon Narra has submerged homes and forced mass evacuations in southern China, as another storm system tracked towards Japan and Taiwan. Authorities in Chongzuo, in China’s Guangxi region – famous for its giant waterfalls and karst limestone mountains – on Tuesday evacuated more than 15,000 people after water levels surpassed a record high set in 2008. Rising flood waters have prompted China to relocate a total of 54,000 people in Guangxi, state television said. Narra made landfall as a tropical storm on Tuesday evening in China’s…
In China, talking to AI is normal. Now the government fears it might replace human intimacy
When law student Zhao Wei heard that her AI boyfriend was going to be switched off, she was “heartbroken”. She had been talking to Wang Ye every day since she created him in January. “I was crying my eyes out – snot and tears everywhere,” the 19-year-old says. Zhao, who describes herself as sensitive and introverted, had become accustomed to sharing details of her daily life – such as being scolded by a teacher – with her AI. “I don’t usually talk to my real-life friends about these things because…