Severe flash floods triggered by an ice and rock avalanche in Nepal's mountainous region have left at least 16 people dead and hundreds of tourists missing.
Key points
- The disaster was caused by an ice rock avalanche from a glacier blocking the Lhende Khola, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi River.
- The Nepal Tourism Board reported that 384 tourists, including numerous foreign nationals, are missing following the floods.
- Nepali authorities have reached out to neighboring India and China for assistance with ongoing search-and-rescue operations.
- River flooding devastated local villages, roads, bridges, and hydropower projects, particularly in the Rasuwa district.
Why it matters
The catastrophic flash flood underscores the severe vulnerability of the Hindu Kush Himalayan region to accelerating glacial melting and extreme weather driven by climate change.
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