On 16 August 2024, two glacier lakes burst in Thame village of the Everest region in Solukhumbu District of Nepal. The flood damaged a number of households of Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality.[1][2]

Location of lake burst shown in red hatch

Initially, the flood was believed to be due to the blocked river breached by a landslide. However, an aerial inspection confirmed the cause and revealed that two lakes had busted, one of the remaining three glacial lakes is safe, two others were still at risk. The rising temperatures since August 9, which peaked at 15 °C on the day of the flood, contributed to the outburst. [1]

The flood, which occurred suddenly, displaced 135 people, including 40 children. Most residents had already left for Kathmandu or were at the weekly marketplace in Namche. The school was closed for the day, so no students were hurt. Search and rescue operations was done by the Nepali Army and Nepal Police. The Ministry of Home Affairs coordinated disaster response efforts, and local officials provided the relief.The flood also disrupted key road networks and communication services.[3]

The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology issued warnings for potential further flooding and landslides, advising evacuation for those living along the Dudhkoshi River.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Flood in Thame due to outburst of two glacial lakes". GorakhaPatra. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  2. ^ Sen, Sandeep (2024-08-16). "Devastating flash flood sweeps through Thame village after possible glacial lake outburst". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  3. ^ "Rare flood destroys 12 houses, a school and a clinic in Everest village". Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  4. ^ Pahari, Sara. "Catastrophic floods devastate Thame village as one person goes missing". My Republica. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
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Arial inspection of location of GLOF on YouTube