Dozens of US and Canadian citizens missing after flash flooding in Nepal

A massive flood has swept through villages in Nepal and the Chinese autonomous region of Tibet, killing at least 160 people and leaving hundreds missing. The flood is believed to have been triggered when a large chunk of ice broke off from a high mountain glacier. Surveillance footage shows the waters crashing through buildings as people tried to flee.

Geologist Daniel Shugar from the University of Calgary found satellite imagery of a 2,000-foot-wide chunk of glacier that had broken off and caused an ice avalanche. The pulverized ice then flowed down a valley toward the Bhote Koshi River, located at the border between Nepal and Tibet. This event is reminiscent of a similar incident in India in 2021, which destroyed a hydroelectric dam project and resulted in 42 deaths.

The role of global warming in destabilizing the glacier remains under investigation, but the Himalayan glaciers, like those worldwide, have experienced significant melting and retreat. This decrease in ice mass is causing some glaciers to destabilize, along with the cliffs they once supported, and leading to sudden outbursts from glacial lakes.

It is estimated that over a third of the glacier ice in the region could disappear by the end of the century, which could have devastating consequences for the millions of people who rely on the water supply. Overcast conditions have made it challenging to analyze the situation through satellite imagery. Nepal's Army is currently conducting search and rescue operations in the affected areas.