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…
Tag: Nepal-Tibet flood disaster
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…
Nepal-Tibet flash flood: what we know so far
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…