Experts say glacier collapse triggered Nepal floods that left over 1,300 missing
U.S. Geological Survey analysis indicates a massive glacier collapse and debris flow, not an earthquake, caused deadly flash floods in Nepal and Tibet that killed at least 273 people and left more than 1,300 missing.
Experts have identified the likely cause of the catastrophic flash floods that devastated areas along the Nepal-China border, killing at least 273 people and leaving more than 1,300 missing. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) now says the disaster was triggered by a massive glacier collapse and debris flow that registered as a magnitude 5.2 landslide, rather than the earthquake initially suspected.
The USGS originally attributed the event to a 4.4 magnitude earthquake, but revised its assessment after reviewing data from nearby seismic stations, long period seismic waves, and satellite imagery. That evidence indicated no earthquake had actually occurred. Climate experts at the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development told The Associated Press that Wednesday's flash floods were likely caused by a glacial avalanche.
«Hydrological observations indicate the exceptional speed and magnitude of the flood wave,» the experts said in a statement. At one point, water levels on the Trishuli River rose by as much as 27 feet in just half an hour, according to their analysis.
Rescue teams are now searching for the more than 1,300 people who remain missing, many of them foreigners and pilgrims. Nepal Police began posting lists of missing Nepali and foreign nationals on Thursday, with several dozen Americans included on the lists. The search effort has been hampered by widespread destruction, including dozens of destroyed bridges and nearly 25 miles of damaged roads, according to Nepalese officials.
The Nepalese army rescued more than 100 people from flood-hit areas by helicopter Thursday morning, according to army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet. Bishal Kumar Bhandari, chairman of the Nepal Red Cross Society, told the AP that the organization has shifted focus to large-scale relief operations, noting that around 1,200 people were displaced from at least three villages.
Videos of the disaster showed raging floodwaters sweeping away cars, engulfing people trying to flee, and destroying homes and bridges. Debris was left tangled in tree branches and power lines, vehicles were buried in mud, and survivors emerged covered in debris as flooding cut off travel in some areas.
The village of Soley in Nuwakot, which has about 25 homes, was almost entirely destroyed, according to Kathmandu-based journalist Nirajan Paudyal, whose parents and other relatives live there. Desperate for news, he traveled to the area Thursday to check on his family. «There is no update till now. I fear there won't be any update,» Paudyal told the AP.
The disaster in Nepal and Tibet underscores a broader threat, as increasingly unstable Himalayan ice poses risks to communities, infrastructure, and water supplies across one of the world's most densely populated regions. The region experienced similar flash flooding in August 2025, when high temperatures caused a glacial lake in Tibet to overflow. Those floods killed nine people and damaged critical infrastructure, including a bridge linking Nepal and China.
