Glacier collapse may have triggered deadly Nepal flash flood, experts say

A deadly flash flood near Nepal's border with Tibet on Wednesday may have been triggered by a glacier collapse, according to experts citing satellite imagery. The lower part of the glacier reportedly broke off and crashed onto the valley floor, hundreds of meters below. The cause of the glacier collapse remains unclear, but Nepali officials have suggested an earthquake in the region as a possible trigger, occurring just minutes earlier.

Authorities on both sides fear the death toll could exceed the nearly 100 bodies already recovered. Over 300 travelers are still missing, according to Nepal's government.

Satellite imagery from Planet Labs, reviewed by Reuters, revealed lush green mountainsides now buried beneath brown debris and sediment. Vikram Gupta, an engineering geology specialist at India's Sikkim University, confirmed that a significant portion of the glacier's snout collapsed, likely involving or carrying considerable rock and sediment. Earth scientist Dan Shugar, an associate professor at the University of Calgary, also expressed concerns over the potential for a higher number of casualties.