KATHMANDU, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- A fast-moving chain mudslide, triggered by a high-altitude glacier collapse in Nepal, struck areas along the China-Nepal border on Aug. 26, causing heavy casualties and severe losses on both sides.
The disaster has raised widespread concern and prompted stronger cross-border emergency assistance, meteorological cooperation and broader discussions on climate change.
WHAT TRIGGERED THE DISASTER?
In Nepal, more than 1,350 people have been killed in the disaster, with roughly 5,000 others missing. Chinese and Nepali experts, as well as scientists worldwide, have confirmed that the disaster was triggered by a fractured glacier on Mount Langtang Lirung in Nepal at an elevation of around 5,200 meters. The glacier collapse generated an ice-rock avalanche that plunged rapidly to an altitude of around 4,000 meters, scouring mountain slopes and developing into a massive debris flow.
The United States Geological Survey said that the glacier-related slope failure generated the energy equivalent of a 5.2-magnitude earthquake. The resulting debris flow and flash flood traveled roughly 100 kilometers, according to the agency.
Austin Lord, senior fellow at the U.S. think tank Stimson Center, noted that the architecture for Nepal's monitoring systems, like most, was built around gauge and station networks designed for monsoon flooding and glacial lake outbursts.
"Unfortunately, a sudden catastrophic flow of this speed outruns it; there is simply no time to share an alert," Lord said in a commentary published on Aug. 28.
WHAT EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN OFFERED?
China has dispatched specialists, including tunnel rescue and DNA identification experts, to support Nepal's post-disaster response.
In addition to emergency cash assistance, Chinese relief supplies were delivered to Nepal in three batches. The supplies included urgently needed items such as drones, DNA testing devices and reagents, water-purification units, lighting gear, tents, blankets, mortuary refrigerators, medical protective suits and satellite communication equipment.
Reshmi, press officer at Nepal's rescue command camp, said that the Chinese rescue experts were among the first international personnel to arrive in Nepal for search-and-rescue operations.
Pushpa Raj Pradhan, editor-in-chief of Nepal's People's Review, highlighted the significance of China's support given that China itself was also affected by the same transboundary disaster.
Nepali Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said his country appreciates China's generous assistance at a time of crisis.
WHAT CHALLENGES DO RESCUE OPERATIONS FACE?
Rescue operations in Nepal were hampered by mud, water, blocked roads, limited helicopter capacity and harsh mountain weather conditions.
Roads and bridges leading to the affected region had been severely damaged, leaving some areas completely inaccessible by land, Khanal said.
At a Nepalese rescue command center in Bidur, Xinhua correspondents saw helicopters taking off and landing almost continuously as rescue operations proceeded at an intense pace.
However, helicopter availability remained limited. Nepal's rugged mountainous terrain and volatile weather conditions sharply reduce the time helicopters can safely operate each day.
Furthermore, for safety reasons, each tunnel search mission can last no more than two hours. Despite these obstacles, the rescue teams have continued to move toward areas inaccessible to ordinary rescue vehicles.
HOW DOES CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION SUPPORT THE RESPONSE?
China and Nepal cooperate in meteorology, water conservation, disaster prevention and reduction, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Following the deadly mudslide, China has provided Nepal with daily meteorological, hydrological and glacier data updates through a disaster information notification mechanism.
The two sides held video weather consultations immediately after the event, according to the China Meteorological Administration. The administration has been providing Nepal with a range of meteorological products through MAZU, China's homegrown AI-powered meteorological early warning system, including multi-source satellite data and products from the Fengyun-3 and Fengyun-4 meteorological satellite series.
Khanal said that satellite and monitoring data shared by China supported Nepal's ongoing disaster response and helped authorities identify potential secondary risks. "China has almost provided Nepal with real-time information so that we remain alert for potential future disaster," he said.
WHAT ARE THE CLIMATE-CHANGE TAKEAWAYS?
During a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zhang Maoming, Khanal said that Nepal and China share the Himalayan ecosystem and are both vulnerable to climate change impacts. He added that Nepal agrees with China that addressing climate change is a shared responsibility of the international community.
Khanal clarified that Nepal has no intention of separately seeking "climate justice compensation" from any specific country, and will seek compensation from the international community under the frameworks of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.
Dan Shugar, director of the waterSHED Lab at the University of Calgary in Canada, told PBS News that steep Himalayan mountain landscapes are continually evolving due to climate change. He argued that the global community must step up efforts to mitigate risks and enhance the resilience of people living in disaster-prone areas, stressing that wealthy Western nations are "largely responsible" for climate-linked disasters. ■