A recent devastating flash flood in Nepal, which has tragically claimed at least 98 lives and left 579 tourists missing, appears to have been triggered by a significant snow-rock landslide near the country's border with China. Initial studies, based on satellite imagery analyzed by Planet Labs, point to a glacier-inclusive flood in the Lhende River system.
Nepal's disaster management authority reported on Wednesday that the landslide occurred approximately 20 kilometers northeast of the Nepal-China Rasuwagadhi border crossing. This event likely caused a sudden surge in the Lhende Khola, a tributary that flows into the larger Bhote Koshi river.
Landslide Created Temporary Debris Lake
Experts suggest that an ice avalanche or snow-rock landslide blocked the Lhende Khola, leading to the formation of a temporary debris lake. The subsequent bursting of this natural dam unleashed a torrent of water and a large volume of debris downstream, intensifying the flood's destructive power.
Binod Parajuli, chief of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology's Flood Forecasting Division, confirmed that preliminary satellite images from Chinese authorities showed significant debris blocking the river about 20 km upstream of the Miteri Bridge. “An icefall and landslide can be seen,” Parajuli stated. “An ice and debris lake formed and then burst. A dam was formed.” He emphasized that the mix of debris with water significantly increased the flood's destructive impact compared to clear water.
Earthquake and Glacial Lake Outbursts Considered
Rijan Bhakta Kayastha, a climate researcher and professor at Kathmandu University, noted information suggesting an ice avalanche from the Nepal side blocked the Lhende river. Interestingly, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake was recorded by the US Geological Survey in Tibetan territory, about 47 km north of Gosainkunda, around the same time as the flood.
While it may take several days to definitively confirm, the possibility of a glacial lake outburst (GLOF) is also being investigated, as similar GLOFs have occurred in the region previously. A comparable flood impacted the Bhote Koshi river on July 8, 2025, which Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology later attributed to a glacial lake outburst in the Lhende River near the Nepal-China border.