Published : 20 Sep 2026, 06:59 PM
Updated : 20 Sep 2026, 06:59 PM
Rising temperatures may have helped set the stage for a Himalayan glacier collapse that unleashed devastating floods across Nepal and Tibet in August, according to a study reported by the BBC.
More than 1,300 people were killed and over 5,000 remained missing after a huge section of glacier and rock fell from Langtang Lirung mountain on Aug 26.
The collapse sent about 110 million cubic metres of snow and ice into the valley, triggering a powerful flash flood that swept away homes, settlements, roads and bridges.
Researchers from Imperial College London and the World Weather Attribution group found unusually high temperatures before the collapse.
July and August were the warmest on record in the area, with temperatures reaching about 5 degrees Celsius above the 30-year average in the days before the disaster.
The study found the region has warmed by about 2C since pre-industrial times.
Rising temperatures have also pushed the Himalayan freezing line higher, while glacier retreat has removed ice that had helped stabilise the slope.
Researchers said a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Nepal in 2015 may also have contributed to the slope failure, although its precise role could not be established.
The scientists stressed that climate change was not the sole cause of the collapse but had increased instability in an already vulnerable mountain environment.
The disaster has prompted Nepal to seek financial assistance from the UN loss and damage fund.
Officials have also called for greater responsibility from major greenhouse gas emitters as the country deals with the destruction.
