A deadly flash flood near Nepal’s border with Tibet may have been triggered when the lower part of a glacier collapsed onto the valley floor, experts said. Nepali officials said an earthquake minutes earlier could have been a trigger, but the cause was still unclear. Authorities feared the death toll would rise beyond nearly 100 bodies recovered, with more than 300 travellers missing.
Floodwaters sweep through Trishuli Bazar following a flash flood, in Nuwakot district, Nepal, Wednesday. EPA-Yonhap
NEW DELHI — A deadly flash flood near Nepal's border with Tibet on Wednesday may have been triggered when the lower part of a glacier broke off and crashed on to the valley floor hundreds of metres below, experts said citing satellite imagery from Planet Labs.
It was not clear what caused the glacier to collapse, but Nepali officials have pointed to an earthquake in the region minutes earlier as a possibility.
Authorities on both sides fear the total number of casualties will be far higher than the nearly 100 bodies so far recovered. More than 300 travellers were missing, Nepal's government has said.
