Nepal’s flood alert came 16 minutes late

On August 26, a glacier in Nepal's Langtang region, near the China border, experienced a collapse, triggering an ice and rock avalanche. This avalanche entered the Lhende Khola, a tributary of the Bhote Koshi river, potentially causing or contributing to a temporary blockage. When this blockage gave way, a catastrophic flash flood raced nearly 100 kilometers downstream.

The cause of the glacier collapse is a subject of increasing interest, particularly in relation to unusually warm conditions and glacial permafrost instability. British Antarctic Survey researchers noted that ground temperatures were unusually high two days before the collapse. Satellite images, stitched together from Copernicus Sentinel-2 data, have provided visual evidence of the disaster.

Video footage from Gyirong Port (via AP News_), Boulder (via ABC News), and the fast-moving water (shared on Instagram by @pujanpokhareofficial) have helped document the unfolding of the disaster. Levan Tielidze, who has received funding from the Australian Research Council, has been involved in the digital storytelling aspect of this event.

It's important to note that the Digital Storytelling Team neither works for, consults, owns shares in, nor receives funding from any company or organization benefiting from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointments.