Kathmandu— A devastating flood on the Bhotekoshi River last week (August 26) has highlighted a rising threat from unstable glaciers and ice masses in Nepal’s rapidly changing Himalayan region. The disaster, which claimed lives and destroyed infrastructure, originated when a glacier collapsed at an altitude of around 5,200 meters near Lantang Ri Rang Peak and traveled about 22 kilometers downstream to the Chinese border within six to seven minutes.

Assessment by Emergency Mitigation Team

An emergency mitigation team from the Chengdu Mountain Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences analyzed remote sensing data and found that a glacier on the southern slope of Lantang Ri Rang Peak in Nepal broke off at around 10:00 Beijing time. The glacier descended rapidly to about 4,000 meters, causing erosion and creating a massive mudslide. It then struck Jiaolong border crossing between Tibet and Nepal, leveling approximately 27 buildings and 0.7 square kilometers of land.

Expert Insights on Glacier Risks

Dr. Prashant Baral, a Cryosphere Analyst at ICIMOD, emphasized that even small thermokarst lakes can pose significant dangers. He highlighted the Trishuli River basin as a top priority for monitoring due to past events like the 2015 earthquake-triggered Langtang avalanche and recent floods in Rasuwa. Alton C Byers, a mountain geographer from the University of Colorado Boulder, noted that long-term temperature increases have warmed mountain slopes up to 100 meters below the surface, making rocks and debris containing ice softer and more permeable.

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.