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As Deadly Flash Flooding Batters Nepal, Some Fear ‘the Entire Himalayas Are Melting’

29 August 2026 at 12:04
A glacier unleashed a deadly flood earlier this week. For local trekking guides and climbers, the mountains were already changing.

© Atul Loke for The New York Times

Homes were heavily damaged and partially buried in thick mud and debris after a catastrophic flash flood in the Devighat area of Nuwakot district in Nepal on Wednesday.

Catastrophic Flood Exposes the Risks of Nepal’s Hydropower Bet

29 August 2026 at 12:23
The loss of power-generating capacity has raised questions about an ambitious expansion of renewable energy in one of the world’s most hazard-prone mountain regions.

© Atul Loke for The New York Times

A catastrophic deluge of ice and debris knocked out over 12 percent of Nepal’s hydropower capacity within minutes, striking a heavy blow to the nation’s economic engine.

Devastating scale of Himalayan floods comes into focus as rescuers arrive

Three days after a catastrophic wall of water, mud and rock tore through Nepal's Himalayan valleys, the scale of the disaster is still coming into focus. At least 579 people are now confirmed dead, nearly 2,000 remain missing, and the danger is not over. Authorities are closely watching lakes formed in the wake of the glacier collapse, amid fears of further flooding. Stephanie Sy reports.

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