What caused the devastating flash flood in Uttarakhand on Sunday, that has killed 18 people and left over 200 missing in the hill state? While experts say it is too early to point out what caused the disaster, different theories have emerged, from the incident being a "glacial lake outburst flood" to an avalanche, leading to debris falling in the river. Environmentalists have blamed the disaster on the rapid pace of development in the region and on climate change.
<div class="at-above-post addthis tool" data-url="https://www.metro.us/search-on-for-more/"></div>LUCKNOW, India (Reuters) – Indian rescuers searched on Monday for more than 200 people missing after part of a remote Himalayan glacier broke away, sweeping away bridges, breaking dams and sending a torrent of water, rocks and construction debris down a mountain valley. Sunday’s disaster below Nanda Devi, India’s second-highest peak, swept away the small […]<! AddThis Advanced Settings above via filter on get the excerpt ><! AddThis Advanced Settings below via filter on get the excerpt ><! AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get the excerpt ><! AddThis Share Buttons above via filter on get the excerpt ><! AddThis Share Buttons below via filter on get the excerpt ><div class="at-below-post addthis tool" data-url="https://www.metro.us/search-on-for-more/"><
Uttarakhand flash floods: 2019 study had warned of Himalayan glaciers melting
The study, published in the journal Science Advances in June 2019, shows that glaciers have been losing the equivalent of more than a vertical foot and half of ice each year since 2000.
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NDRF and others during rescue operations for the people who are stranded in the tunnel near the Tapovan Dam in Chamoli. (Photo | Shekhar Yadav/EPS) By Express News Service
DEHRADUN: A part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Sunday, leading to massive floods, recalling a 2019 study that warned about the dangers of climate change and said Himalayan glaciers have been melting twice as fast since the start of this century.
Indian rescuers searched on Monday for more than 200 people missing after part of a remote Himalayan glacier broke away, sweeping away bridges, breaking dams and sending a torrent of water, rocks and construction debris down a mountain valley. Sunday's disaster below Nanda Devi, India's second-highest peak, swept away the small Rishiganga hydro-electric project and damaged a bigger one further down the Dhauliganga river being built by state firm NTPC. Most of the missing were people working on the two projects, part of the many the government has been building deep in the mountains of Uttarakhand state as part of a development push.
What caused the sudden deluge in Uttarakhand? While experts continue to battle out the reasons for the flash floods, some leading climate scientists believe it to be a rare incident of a glacial burst, which may be a climate change event .