How a Himalayan avalanche unleashed a trail of destruction across Nepal
It's been two weeks since floods swept through communities in the Himalayas. When a section of Langtang Lirung mountain and the glacier above it collapsed
It's been two weeks since floods swept through communities in the Himalayas. When a section of Langtang Lirung mountain and the glacier above it collapsed, millions of cubic metres of rock and ice fell more than a kilometre to the valley below.
The impact registered as a magnitude 5.2 earthquake. The mass of debris travelled more than 14 kilometres in seven minutes towards the China-Nepal border crossing, which was obliterated. The surge of melting ice, rock and sediment then plunged down the Trishuli valley, gathering more water and gouging chunks out of the riverbank.
Workers on site filmed its approach before fleeing, but hundreds of others were buried. The avalanche swept away bridges, buildings and entire villages, carrying boulders bigger than cars. Within an hour, it had left a trail of devastation stretching more than 50 kilometres, while flooding continued south for more than 100 kilometres.
Al Jazeera's Daniel McKerrell explains. Find us on Check our website Check out our Instagram page Download AJE Mobile App
The BriefWire