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Glacial Collapse in the Himalayas Triggers Devastating Flash Flood Killing Hundreds in Nepal and Tibet

A massive glacial collapse in the Himalayas has triggered a devastating flash flood, leaving at least 500 people killed and more than 2,000 missing. The disaster began when a glacial slab approximately 2,000 feet wide plummeted nearly 4,000 feet, releasing energy equivalent to a magnitude 5.2 earthquake. The surge of water, mud, and debris traveled nearly 170 kilometers, destroying the Gyirong Port on the Chinese side of the border and causing the Trishuli River to rise nine meters in 30 minutes. Geologists and glaciologists, including Olaf Eisen, suggest that while these events can be cyclical, they are increasingly driven by human-induced climate change. The rapid melting of glaciers and thawing permafrost are destabilizing high mountain regions, making such events more likely in other regions like the Alps. The disaster also serves as a warning for the global warming trend, which has contributed to more intense and frequent weather catastrophes. Experts note that every tenth of a degree of temperature reduction is vital for glacier protection.

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