Nepal glacier disaster toll passes 1,000 as calls for climate justice grow
The death toll from last week's devastating Himalayan glacial floods passed 1,000 on Tuesday, as Chinese and Nepali teams searched for survivors. Nepal's foreign minister said the disaster was "a warning signal" of the growing risks posed by climate change.
The death toll from the Himalayan glacial floods has passed 1,000. Chinese and Nepali teams are searching for survivors. According to Nepal's foreign minister, the disaster is a warning signal of growing risks posed by climate change, as reported by RFI English.
A rapid hazard assessment of the disaster found pre-event indications of the avalanche, including satellite imagery showing a change in the surface of the collapsed glacier, according to ABC News AU. The disaster is understood to have involved a glacier failure and a massive landslide occurring together.
Glaciologist Joseph Shea, quoted on France 24, describes the catastrophe as a compound event. He argues that as warming changes high-mountain environments, scientists may need to identify subtle precursors to rare but potentially devastating cascading hazards. The cause of the floods appears to have been an ice avalanche, resulting from a huge piece of a glacier collapsing, as reported by Phys.org.
Brief written by urgent.news from RFI English, ABC News AU, France 24, Phys.org — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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