Nepal flood toll tops 270 as glacier collapse points to rising risk

A deadly flash flood in Nepal that also hit Tibet has killed more than 270 people, with hundreds more missing, as scientists point to a glacier collapse high in the Himalayas as the likely trigger. Preliminary assessments indicate a large mass of ice and rock crashed into the Lhende Khola, a tributary of the Bhote Koshi River, possibly blocking the channel before impounded water burst downstream. Researchers said river levels rose by as much as 9 meters in 30 minutes. The surge tore through communities, bridges, roads and hydropower infrastructure along a key route linking Kathmandu and Lhasa. Scientists said it is too early to tie this disaster directly to climate change, but warned warming temperatures are destabilizing Himalayan glaciers and increasing the risk of similar events.