Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) reached a preliminary conclusion that a supraglacial lake outburst in China caused Tuesday’s devastating flood from the Lhende Stream in Rasuwa. According to satellite data, the flood was likely triggered by the bursting of a supraglacial lake located about 36 kilometres north of the Nepal-China border at Rasuwagadhi, at an altitude of around 5,150 meters.
Before the incident, the lake covered approximately 0.74 square kilometres. After the flood, its area was found to have decreased to around 0.60 square kilometres. This change in size indicates a significant release of water, supporting the conclusion that a lake outburst caused the flood in the Lhende Stream. This report is also supported by the speculations of International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) located in Lalitpur, suggesting the cause of flash flood due to the outburst of the glacier lake.
Overall, 485 persons affected by the Lhende flash flood were evacuated at Rasuwagadhi, in the Nepal-China border. They were shifted to safe places with the help of the Armed Police Force (APF). A makeshift route was built after the complete closure of Rasuwagadhi-Syafrubenshi road section due to the Lhende stream flooding on Tuesday. The security persons also moved two containers and an electric vehicle parked in the yard of the Customs Office to a safe place.
In the early morning flood occurred on Tuesday, 20 persons- 14 Nepalis including three security persons and six Chinese nationals- have gone missing. Miteri Pul, the Nepal-China border bridge, was washed away by the flooding, thereby completely closing the border point between the two countries.
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