Wall of floodwater sweeps away villages in Nepal, with hundreds missing

image via New Scientist

August 26, 2026, 6:56 PM

• •Researchers and officials say a catastrophic flood swept through settlements in Nepal and Tibet, killing at least 160 people and leaving hundreds missing.
• •Scientists cited seismic data and satellite imagery suggesting the flood was triggered by a large ice and rock collapse from Langtang Lirung rather than by an earthquake.
• •The event destroyed bridges, schools, homes, roads and power infrastructure, and Nepal’s army launched search-and-rescue operations.
• •Experts said warming in the Himalayas may be increasing glacier and permafrost instability, though they cautioned that a direct climate attribution for this specific event is not yet established.

A devastating flood tore through settlements in Nepal and Tibet, killing at least 160 people and leaving hundreds missing, including foreign tourists. Researchers say seismic evidence indicates the disaster was probably caused by a major ice-and-rock collapse from Langtang Lirung rather than an earthquake. Satellite imagery suggests a large section of glacier broke away, sending an avalanche of pulverized ice and debris down toward the Bhotekoshi River. Scientists say climate change cannot yet be definitively tied to this single event, but they note that warming, glacier retreat and thawing permafrost are making Himalayan terrain less stable.

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