Glacier collapse blamed for deadly Nepal flood

Satellite and seismic data suggest that a glacier at about 5,200 meters collapsed, dropping over a kilometer into a valley and triggering a massive flash flood in Nepal and Tibet. The collapse may have been caused by melting snow and ice lubricating the glacier's base, possibly linked to climate change. The full extent of casualties and damage is still unknown.

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The collapse occurred when a steep glacier at roughly 5,200 meters snapped off a cliff, dropping over a kilometer to the valley floor. Warm weather in the preceding day likely melted snow and ice, injecting liquid water that percolated to the glacier's bed and lubricated it, triggering the failure. The falling mass released enormous potential energy as heat, melting more ice and generating the flash flood.

Seismic records show a mass-wasting signal, not an earthquake, followed by hours of debris flow—similar to the 2021