Nepal flash floods reason: What triggered the deadly floods and why the region is at risk

Hundreds of people were reported missing after an avalanche of ice and rock triggered massive flash floods that swept through parts of Nepal on Wednesday, killing at least eight people and causing widespread damage to villages and infrastructure.

Officials said 384 tourists, including 291 from countries including India, the United States, the United Kingdom and Malaysia, were reported missing as a result of the flash flood.

Why did the flash floods happen?

The Bhotekoshi River flooded around 9 a.m. Wednesday, destroying several villages as well as roads and hydropower projects, officials said. They issued warnings to residents of several of Nepal’s districts and asked them to stay away from the banks of Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers.


The worst affected area, Rasuwa district, witnessed similar flash floods to those in August last year, when a glacial lake in neighboring Tibet overflowed as a result of high temperatures in the mountain region. Nine people lost their lives and critical infrastructure including a bridge connecting the two countries were damaged at the time.

Climate experts told AP that the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development say an avalanche from a glacier likely caused Wednesday's flash flood.

The Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhotekoshi River, witnessed maximum flooding Wednesday, they said.

“The Lhende Khola has flooded twice in fourteen months, this time triggered by an ice rock avalanche from a glacier on the Nepal side that blocked the river and released a sudden surge downstream,” Saswata Sanyal, a disaster risk reduction specialist at the climate research group, told AP. “In a warming Himalaya, early warning is the first line of adaptation,” he added.

The Himalayan region, spanning Nepal, India and several other countries, is highly vulnerable to heavy rainfall, floods and landslides. The region is warming faster than the global average due to human-driven climate change, increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heat waves, heavy rainfall and glacier melt.

Earlier this year, researchers at a Kathmandu-based research group found that glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalaya are melting at an accelerating pace. Ice loss rates have doubled since 2000, largely driven by rising global temperatures and climate change.

PM Modi assures assistance

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed condolences over the loss of lives in devastating floods in Nepal and offered India’s assistance for rescue and relief efforts.

“Spoke to Prime Minister Balendra Shah and conveyed condolences on the loss of lives due to the floods in Nepal,” PM Modi wrote on X. “The people of India stand in solidarity with their sisters and brothers in Nepal at this difficult time.”

PM Modi added that India was prepared to support Nepal as the country dealt with the disaster. “India is ready to provide all possible humanitarian assistance to Nepal. Our teams are coordinating closely on rescue and relief efforts,” he said.