China says collapse of glacier in Nepal likely behind flash flood - The Hindu

**China Links Nepal Flash Flood to Glacier Collapse in Tibet** Beijing’s Ministry of Natural Resources said on Tuesday that a sudden collapse of a glacier on the northern slopes of the Himalayas, within China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, is the most plausible trigger for the deadly flash flood that swept through central Nepal on 12 August. The agency cited satellite‑based observations that showed a large ice‑mass detaching and sending a surge of meltwater down the Arun River basin, where villages along the banks were inundated within minutes. While Chinese officials stopped short of assigning blame, the statement underscored a growing scientific consensus that climate‑induced glacier instability can precipitate extreme hydrological events across the region.

The flood claimed at least 78 lives, displaced thousands, and destroyed homes, roads and bridges in districts such as Dolakha and Sindhupalchok. Kathmandu, initially hesitant to request external assistance, announced on Wednesday that it would accept foreign rescue teams after mounting domestic pressure and appeals from affected communities. India, responding to a formal request from Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs, dispatched military engineering units and medical personnel, while the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs coordinated relief distribution. High‑resolution satellite imagery released by commercial providers and the European Space Agency revealed that more than 1,200 km² of terrain were inundated, with entire villages flattened and agricultural fields rendered salinised.

Experts from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the United Nations Environment Programme have warned that the lack of transparent data from China hampers a full assessment of the glacier’s stability and the downstream risk profile. The Guardian has highlighted Beijing’s tight control over information regarding the Tibetan flood zone, complicating cross‑border disaster modelling. Scientists stress that a coordinated, transnational monitoring network is essential to predict future glacier‑lake outburst floods and to formulate early‑warning systems for vulnerable downstream populations. Calls are growing for an independent scientific review that includes data sharing between China, Nepal and the broader Himalayan research community.