Regional intergovernmental knowledge hub for the Hindu Kush Himalaya
Massive floods and mudslides have struck along the Nepal-Tibet border after an ice-rock avalanche triggered a surge in the Lhende Khola valley. Officials say hundreds are dead or missing across Nepal and China's Tibet, with hundreds of foreigners among the missing. Rescue teams are rushing to reach affected villages as damage to roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure complicates efforts.
A glacier collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border has triggered a devastating flood cascading through Nepal and China. Initial assessments have reclassified the event from a quake to a glacial debris flow, with authorities warning of possible secondary flooding as debris dams breach. Satellite imagery shows a glacier break, ice and rock tumbling into valleys, and rivers rising rapidly downstream.
Rescue teams have recovered hundreds of bodies after torrential floods and a suspected earthquake-triggered mudslide along the Bhotekoshi and Lhende Khola rivers. Authorities warn of a potential second flood as relief operations expand with international help.
A glacier-triggered flash flood has collapsed into rivers near Nepal and Tibet, creating a barrier lake that has swelled to about 2.5 million cubic metres. Officials warn of a high risk of breach as authorities monitor rising water levels and potential secondary floods. Rescues continue, with hundreds dead and many missing as relief operations press on.
A section of glacier near Langtang Lirung has collapsed and has sent a fast-moving surge of ice, rock and water through valleys of Tibet and northern Nepal. Rescue teams from Nepal, China and international partners have been searching for survivors; officials have reported hundreds dead and thousands missing while authorities warn of further flood risk from newly formed lakes.
A Systemiq-led study has found Himalayan glaciers are losing mass 65% faster than a decade ago and that just 21 of an estimated 40,000 glaciers are being monitored on the ground. The research has linked accelerated melt, expanding unstable glacial lakes and thawing permafrost to rising risks of floods, landslides and a mid-century peak-water decline that will affect agriculture, hydropower and millions downstream.
Rescuers have recovered four bodies from a flooded hydro tunnel in Chilime, with thousands still missing after floods triggered by a glacier collapse along the Trishuli River. Recovery work faces thick mud and damaged infrastructure as authorities push to speed up rescue and reconstruction efforts.