Glacier collapse at 8.37am, alert at 9.15: Why Nepal sent disaster warning 38 mins late

Nepal floods exposed gaps in disaster monitoring and early-warning systems Nepal’s warning system came under scrutiny after a glacier collapse triggered devastating flash floods in Rasuwa on August 26, with authorities issuing a disaster alert 38 minutes after the ice-rock avalanche. The deadly floods have killed thousands and several remain missing.The collapse struck the Lhende valley near the Nepal-Tibet border at 8.37am, sending a rapid surge of water, debris and boulders downstream. Communities were caught off guard, with survivors relying largely on instinct and help from neighbours to escape, according to a report in the Kathmandu Post.Scientists said predicting the specific glacier collapse was difficult and the steep terrain gave authorities little time to respond. However, the disaster exposed a wider weakness: Nepal’s warning systems are largely built around individual hazards even as Himalayan disasters increasingly involve cascading and cross-border risks.“There is no such thing as an early warning system in Nepal. Simply having sensors does not mean it’s a system; it has to be much more comprehensive,” the report quoted Anil Pokhrel, former chief executive of the Nati...