What we know about the environmental causes behind the Nepal landslide

Lethal surges of mud and water that hit "like liquid concrete" are nearly impossible to predict and cannot be outrun. The cause of the deadly landslide and flood along the Nepal-Tibet border is not yet certain, but experts say the risk of such events is compounded by the extreme topography of the Himalayas. At least 160 people were killed and hundreds are missing in the wake of the disaster on Wednesday morning. Video from the Chinese side shows a raging wall of mud and debris crashing over a building several storeys high, engulfing it and sweeping away buses and cars as if they were toys. It is too soon to draw any firm links to climate change, but there are well-documented trends in the "Roof of the World" that have increased the likelihood of such hazards. To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Cover image: EN floods Nepal © France 24 01:02 Landslide, then tremors, says USGS Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said an earthquake likely triggered a landslide that in tu...