Glacial lakes outburst confirmed in Solukhumbu

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Aug. 18: The burst of two glacial lakes been confirmed in the Khumbu region, triggering a massive flash flood in the Thame River within Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality-5, Solukhumbu district.

 Chief Executive Officer Anil Pokhrel of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, who arrived after sightseeing the glacial outburst on Saturday morning with Minister for Defence Manbir Rai, confirmed the outburst of two out of five glacial lakes at Tashi Lapcha region on Friday afternoon.

After returning from the onsite visit of the flashflood region and the surrounding mountains, a team of the NDRRMA released photos and statement about it. Nepali Army helicopter took the government monitoring team to the region this morning on Saturday.

CEO Pokhrel said that ariel images taken there have confirmed that the flash food occurred due to the outburst of glacial lakes at Tashi Lapcha, while two others are at high risk of bursting.

Earlier, geologists believed that the flood likely originated from the watershed area extending from the 6,938-metre-high Tengi Ragi Tau to the Tashi Lapcha region, where accelerated snowmelt caused landslides and flooding.

The flood also swept away parts of three permafrost formations on the east side of Tashi Lapcha.

Permafrost, a mix of sand and snow frozen at sub-zero temperatures for years, is common in this region.

The flood caused significant destruction, wiping out 20 houses and hotels, three schools, a hostel, and a clinic.

According to the statement issued by the Flood Forecasting Division on Friday, the region upstream had recorded gradual increase in the maximum temperature of the mountain region from 9.6 degrees Celsius in August 9 to 15.9 degrees Celsius on August 15. Similarly, in the last seven days, the Photshre Meteorological Station recorded 65 mm of rainfall in the region.