Natural Disasters: Glacial Collapse Flood in Nepal Kills at Least 469 With 1,400 Missing
A glacial collapse triggered a massive flood in the Nepal-Tibet border region on Wednesday, killing at least 469 people, leaving more than 1,400 missing, and sweeping away pilgrims traveling to sacred Mount Kailash amid natural disasters, with a newly formed barrier lake now overflowing and raising the risk of a second flood. [5]
Deadly Flood Strikes Nepal-Tibet Border
The flood was caused by a glacial collapse near Langtang Lirung that sent a wall of water, mud and debris downstream, burying homes and destroying bridges. [1] More than 470 people are dead and upwards of 1,400 others are missing across Nepal and China, with over 550 missing on the Tibet side alone, nearly half of them foreigners. [4] On the Tibet side of the border alone, more than 550 are missing, nearly half of which are foreigners. [4] Scientists have said that the flood on Wednesday was likely to have been caused by part of a glacier near Langtang Lirung collapsing into the river below, which in turn caused a massive surge downstream carrying water and debris. [4] Several hundred people have died in Nepal and with hundreds more still missing after the flash flood. [4] The area has also seen heavy rain. [4] Fjellområdet har hatt lett til moderat nedbør i det siste. [5] Det er meldt om fortsatt nedbør de kommende dagene. [5]
Pilgrims to Sacred Mount Kailash Among the Victims
They came to the Himalayas seeking spiritual renewal, drawn by Tibet’s sacred, snow-capped Mount Kailash. [1] Instead, many pilgrims were caught in deadly floods that tore through the Nepal-Tibet region, wiping out entire villages. [1] “I saw two buses carrying Indian pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar,” said 27-year-old Laloma, a Nepali mother. [1] She was rescued on Thursday from Nepal’s devastated area of Syabrubesi, along with her infant son and husband, after sheltering for a freezing night in a school. [1] The buses were swept away, she said. [1] “They are all gone,” she told AFP. [1] Mount Kailash is sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. [1] Hindus regard Kailash as the abode of deities Shiva and Parvati, while Tibetan Buddhists associate it with Mount Meru, which they say is the centre of the universe. [1] It is forbidden to climb the 6,638-metre-high (21,778-foot) mountain. [1] Instead, pilgrims undertake a roughly 52-kilometre (32-mile) contemplative circuit around its base, taking most walkers about three days. [1] For those en route or returning from the isolated, pyramid-shaped peak and bathing in the frigid ice waters of nearby Lake Mansarovar, across China’s frontier with Nepal, it was meant to be a healing journey of peace. [1] Logadarrsiny Raman, 26, from Malaysia, said four members of her family were among 17 Malaysians travelling with a Nepali travel operator. [1] Her parents, aunt and uncle had spent months planning the pilgrimage, which they regarded as a spiritual journey and fulfilment. [1] “They felt like this was the right time for them to go for this pilgrimage,” Raman said, speaking to AFP in Kuala Lumpur. [1] “It was a very pure intention, and that’s why they wanted to go together as a family.” [1] She last exchanged WhatsApp messages with her father just after dawn in Nepal on Wednesday. [1] After that, the family heard nothing. [1] Raman said the travel agency told her its last contact with the group was at 8:18 am Nepal time, when they were travelling towards the Nepal-China border. [1] The flood crashed into the area where they last were soon after. [1] “I’m very anxious,” she said. [1] “My only hope is to hear back from them that they are safe.” [1] She appealed for help locating her parents and the other Malaysian pilgrims. [1] “There’s nothing else that we all want as a family,” she said. [1]
Sadhguru Describes Loss of Devotees
Indian spiritual leader Sadhguru this year led devotees to Kailash, an annual pilgrimage growing in popularity, especially among Indians. [1] Thousands of Indians are reported to have undertaken the pilgrimage this year, as well as Hindus from other nations. [1] Sadhguru’s “sacred walks”, organised by his Isha Foundation, promised a journey to a place “of divine connection, where the veil between the physical and spiritual is thin”. [1] On Thursday, he wept as he described his frantic calls to missing devotees, in a video message posted from Tibet to his several million followers. [1] Some 77 pilgrims were at the Nepal-China border office when floodwaters swept through the centre on Wednesday, he said in a post, alongside a terrifying video from the Chinese side of the frontier, when a wall of mud and debris crashed over the building. [1] “Literally, the entire group was there in the building, this is a terrible and extraordinary event,” he said, as anguished wails from other pilgrims with him are heard over the video. [1] “All of us, including the volunteers and support teams are deeply anguished,” the Hindu guru, whose real name is Jagdish Vasudev, added. [1] “To the families and loved ones of those in our group and hundreds of others who are affected in the region, I share your pain,” he added. [1] “All phones are off, telecommunications are down, roads are blocked, we are unable to go there,” he said, tears in his eyes. [1] For Indians, the pilgrimage to Kailash and Lake Mansarovar is organised annually by New Delhi’s foreign ministry, in coordination with Chinese authorities. [1] It restarted in 2025 for Indians for the first time since a 2020 border clash. [1]
New Barrier Lake Raises Risk of Second Flood
A barrier lake formed upstream after a landslide has begun overflowing, with an estimated 2.5 million cubic metres of water already accumulated and three million more expected by the weekend, prompting China to suspend rescue operations due to high risk of breach. [4] The lake has formed in a location upstream from the site of Wednesday's flash flood. [4] China has warned there is a "high risk" that a lake which formed after the recent landslide near the Nepal-Tibet border may breach its banks, causing a second flood downstream. [4] As of Friday morning, an estimated 2.5 million cubic metres of water had accumulated at the barrier lake, according to state broadcaster CCTV. [4] A barrier lake is a body of water formed when debris dams up a river. [4] Officials said that three million cubic metres of water is expected to flow into the lake between Thursday and the weekend, posing a "high risk of breach". [4] The barrier lake, which formed at the confluence of the Chhochen Khola and Purepu Tsangpo rivers, has already started to overflow, according to China's Ministry of Water Resources. [4] Authorities have sent engineering teams to monitor the lake's water levels and the atmospheric conditions. [4] A CCTV report on Friday morning said that most of the Chinese emergency services were stuck at a village about 7km (4 miles) from Gyirong Port, the major land crossing linking Nepal and China which was hit by Wednesday's massive flood. [4] This was because the barrier lake was "overflowing non-stop" which could lead to fresh floods or debris flows. [4] Due to the risks, search and rescue operations had to be suspended near the Nepal-Tibet border, according to the report. [4] The lake is in the same region as the Langtang Lirung peak, where the collapsed glacier is believed to have originated, and several kilometres upstream from Gyirong Port. [4] Separately, Nepali authorities have warned of the risk of blockages causing further floods along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers. [4] They have warned people to stay away from the rivers until further notice. [4] Nepal lake breaks banks, water level rising, district official says. [3] Nepal lake breaks banks, water level rising, district official says. [3] Live Updatesa min ago Nepal-China flooding latest: Lake formed following landslide has broken its banks. [2]
Climate Change and Glacial Instability
But climate change is causing glaciers to melt worldwide, increasing the risks of glacial lake floods and glacial collapses. [1] On Wednesday morning, a tsunami-like wall of water and mud powered down, caused by a glacial collapse that sent a torrent of debris downstream, burying homes and sweeping away bridges. [1] The lake is in the same region as the Langtang Lirung peak, where the collapsed glacier is believed to have originated, and several kilometres upstream from Gyirong Port. [4]
Ongoing Rescue and Evacuation Efforts Amid Natural Disasters
Nepali authorities in Rasuwa district have urged residents and rescue workers to seek higher ground as water levels rise along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers, with continued rain forecast to destabilise the area further. [5] Det hadde dannet seg en innsjø etter at en enorm vegg av jordmasser og vann traff grensepunktet Gyirong i Tibet onsdag. [5] Minst 469 mennesker er døde etter naturkatastrofen, og mer enn 1400 er savnet, ifølge nepalske myndigheter. [5] Ber folk søke tilflukt – Myndighetene i Rasuwa-distriktet i Nepal har fått beskjed om at innsjøen har flommet over, sier Narendra Pariyar, den mest høytstående tjenestepersonen i distriktet, til Reuters. [5] De har gitt for beskjed om å søke tilflukt i høyere terreng. [5] – Alt sikkerhetspersonell, redningsmannskaper og andre som deltar i rednings- og hjelpearbeidet, må være årvåkne og umiddelbart oppsøke et trygt, heter det fra politiet. [5] Samtidig advarer også kinesiske myndigheter om at et en innsjø er i ferd med å gå over sine bredder. [5] Data fra de kinesiske undersøkelsene viste at innsjøen var rundt 150 meter lang og 40–50 meter dyp, melder nyhetsbyrået Reuters. [5] Mesteparten av de kinesiske nødetatene var fast i en landsby rundt 7 km fra Gyirong Port. [4] Due to the risks, search and rescue operations had to be suspended near the Nepal-Tibet border. [4]
What to watch next: The barrier lake continues to overflow with three million cubic metres of water expected by the weekend, and continued rain is forecast to destabilise the area further along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers.
