Why early warning signs of glacier collapse in Nepal were difficult to detect

More than a week after devastating flash floods triggered by a glacier collapse engulfed the Himalayan border region of Nepal ⁠and China’s autonomous region of Tibet, authorities were still trying to identify the bodies of victims of the disaster. Meanwhile, Nepal said it would have to rebuild at least 20,000 homes in ⁠the affected areas. According to the latest provisional toll, the floods left more than 1,270 people dead and more than 4,700 missing. Read moreTibetan activists accuse China of underreporting flood death toll But while the region is slowly recovering from the catastrophe, questions are emerging about Nepal’s prevention and early warning systems. With global warming increasingly melting glaciers across the world, experts warn that such collapses will become more common and that more effective monitoring technologies are urgently needed. A disaster too fast to predict A report by the HiRISK consortium of experts – a body that provides risk data related to the High Mountain Asia (HMA) region – detailed that on August 26, the glacier situated in Langtang Lirung, which comprises a Nepal peak of 7,234 metres (23,734 feet) in height and underlying bedrock, collapsed at 8:3...