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A massive landslide and glacial collapse in Nepal triggered a catastrophic flood, leaving over 1,000 people dead and 4,000 missing.

A massive landslide and glacial collapse in Nepal triggered a catastrophic flood, leaving over 1,000 people dead and 4,000 missing. The event occurred on August 26, when a landslide took away a large chunk of land about 12 miles northeast of the Rasuwagadhi border post along the Nepal-China border. This collapse prompted the failure of at least part of a glacier on the mountainside, creating a high-velocity wave of mud and debris. Experts note that while the exact cause of this specific collapse is still being studied, it serves as a reminder of the importance of monitoring glaciers worldwide as they become increasingly unstable due to human-amplified climate change. Glacial melting and permafrost degradation are making mountainsides more unstable, leading to more frequent landslides and debris-laden floods. The disaster also highlights the shared hydrological risks between Nepal and India. Because Nepal's rivers flow into the Indian plains, Nepal's rainfall largely determines the timing and size of flood peaks reaching India. However, the severity of the flooding once it arrives depends on Indian conditions, such as embankment integrity and drainage. The administration announced that the current policies favor fossil fuel extraction, while some experts suggest that the warming climate is making these high-mountain hazards more frequent and more damaging.

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