The collapse of a mountainside triggered Nepal’s devastating floods. As the region’s mountains heat up, it won’t be the last
A massive rock and ice avalanche near Nepal's Langtang Lirung peak caused devastating floods that killed nearly 1,000 people. Experts suggest that climate change-induced warming is destabilizing mountain slopes, making such catastrophic events more likely in the future.
Why it matters
This event underscores the lethal risks posed by climate change to high-altitude communities and the urgent need for better geological monitoring.
Prabin Ranabhat/AFP via Getty The collapse of a mountainside triggered Nepal’s devastating floods. As the region’s mountains heat up, it won’t be the last Published: September 1, 2026 1:57am EDT https://theconversation.com/the-collapse-of-a-mountainside-triggered-nepals-devastating-floods-as-the-regions-mountains-heat-up-it-wont-be-the-last-290924 https://theconversation.com/the-collapse-of-a-mountainside-triggered-nepals-devastating-floods-as-the-regions-mountains-heat-up-it-wont-be-the-last-290924 Link copied Share article Share article
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On the morning of August 26, a section of mountain near Langtang Lirung peak in Nepal suddenly collapsed.
A huge mass of rock, ice and debris plunged roughly 1,200 metres into the valley below, producing a hugely destructive flood on the Lhende Khola river. The flow travelled almost 100 kilometres downstream, washing villages and bridges away. Almost 1,000 people died and thousands more are still missing across the Nepal-China border.
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