A chunk of ice snapped off a glacier high in the Himalayas around 8:40 a.m. Wednesday and fell from a height of around 17,000 feet, smashing into a valley floor, creating what is known as an ice avalanche, Al Jazeera reported.
asserted
Jazeera → snap → avalanche
As the ice was falling, it was picking up debris and it struck the Lhende River – located around 12 miles from the Nepal-China border.
asserted
it → fall → border
The debris accumulation initially caused the river to be blocked up before the dam gave way, unleashing a violent torrent downstream.
asserted
dam → cause → torrent
You can imagine it is 20 million cubic meters excess water on the river, and it was like a tsunami from the sky,” Bishal Nath Upreti, the president of the Nepal Centre for Disaster Management, told BBC’s “Today” show.
asserted
Upreti → imagine → show
“It’s such a huge debris, and everything on the way was completely washed out.
asserted
everything → ’ → way
Villages and villages along the almost 40 to 50 kilometres were completely wiped out.”
asserted
kilometres → wipe → ?
Upreti declared that Wednesday’s floods were “one of the largest disasters” in Nepalese history.
asserted
floods → declare → history
Initially, the US Geological Survey reported that a 4.4-magnitude earthquake had struck 41 miles north of the Nepal capital, Kathmandu, before revising its assessment.
asserted
earthquake → report → assessment
“Additional analysis of nearby seismic stations, long period seismic waves, and satellite imagery led to the determination that the seismic event was instead a glacial collapse and debris flow, and that no earthquake had occurred,” the USGS said, according to AFP.
uncertain
USGS → lead → AFP
The glacier collapse caused “catastrophic impacts downstream.”
asserted
collapse → cause → impacts
A mudslide slammed into the Gyirong port in China-controlled Tibet, while villages on the paths of the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers in Nepal were devastated by the 33-foot-high wall of water, debris, and mud, which surged downstream.
asserted
which → slam → water
“I started running,” Bibek Kumal, a 24-year-old Nepali laborer, said, revealing he was working on a toilet pit when the mudslides hit.
“Then a wall of water came thundering down as if it was an earthquake.”
asserted
it → start → water
Kumal, who was hospitalized but survived, counted his blessings as he ended up in a mango tree as he was being swept downstream.
asserted
he → hospitalize → tree
“Had there been no mango tree, I would’ve been washed away to death.”
asserted
I → wash → death
Some 168 people have been killed, with authorities fearing the number will rise.
asserted
number → kill → ?
Hundreds of foreigners who had embarked on pilgrimages to the sacred Mount Kailash, located in southwestern China, were caught up in the floods.
asserted
who → embark → floods
It’s a revered peak in Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Bon – and it has never been successfully climbed.
asserted
it → ’ → Buddhism
US citizens Ramesh Sharma, 65, and his wife Neelam Sharma, 64, are among the American citizens missing.
asserted
citizens → miss → citizens
They were on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, their daughter Radhika Sharma revealed.
asserted
daughter → reveal → Kailash
Some 63 American citizens are missing, according to Nepalese authorities.
uncertain
citizens → miss → authorities
At least 77 pilgrims traveling with the Isha Foundation – founded by the Indian guru Sadhguru – lost contact when traveling back to Kathmandu after completing their journey to Kailash, according to the ANI news agency.
uncertain
pilgrims → travel → agency
Nine Brits – who were on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash with the Trekkers Society – are missing.
asserted
who → miss → Society
The ages of the pilgrims range from 14 to 54, according to the Press Association.
uncertain
ages → range → Association
The response has seen more than 5,000 army and police rescue personnel deployed.
asserted
personnel → see → ?
But rescue operations are being hampered by the infrastructure that has been damaged or destroyed in the floods and landslides.
asserted
that → hamper → floods
Around 25 miles of roads were damaged and 19 bridges were destroyed.
asserted
bridges → damage → roads
Nepalese army personnel have been forced to carry out rescue operations by helicopter.
asserted
personnel → force → helicopter
More than 100 people were rescued on Thursday, according to army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet.
uncertain
people → rescue → Basnet
Meanwhile, areas near the Gyirong port in China-controlled Tibet, which is near the border crossing, were covered in mud that was five feet deep.
asserted
that → control → mud
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, said the flooding “has caused significant casualties and missing persons in both China and Nepal.”
asserted
flooding → say → China
Buildings in the Nepalese district of Trishuli have been left covered in mud following this week's flash floods.
asserted
Buildings → leave → floods
Cars were swept away by the ferocity of the waters. Newslions / SWNS
asserted
Cars → sweep → waters
Survivors sit on rubble while roads were blocked by debris.
asserted
roads → sit → debris
The Aporia
