Nepal flood disaster exposes cascading threats in Himalayas

A catastrophic flood in Nepal that left thousands missing began with a collapse of ice and rock high in the mountains—a warning that disaster planning must prepare for chains of hazards, not isolated events, experts say. The cascade of ice, rock and debris that tumbled through the Nepal–China border region last week probably blocked a tributary of the Bhotekoshi River, forming a dam before bursting downstream with devastating force, according to disaster analysis.

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