Glacial Avalanche Captured on Camera... Where It All Began

[Anchor]

The dramatic moment of a glacial collapse that triggered massive floods in Nepal has been captured on camera. Scientists believe that the disaster began when bedrock collapsed in the high altitudes of the Himalayas, plunging downward along with a glacier.

Reporter Jeon Hyeong-u has the details.

[Reporter]

This footage was filmed on the 26th around Mount Langtang Lirung, which stands at over 7,200 meters above sea level, looking toward Tibet, China.

Yellow dust first rises from the mountain slope beneath the sharp peak, followed shortly by black dust clouds and earth pouring down.

Moments later, the glacier that remained on the slope also collapses.

The Chinese photographer who captured the scene stated that he started filming after suddenly hearing a loud roar from the mountain. This matches the analysis of scientists from the University of Calgary, who suggested that "a large-scale bedrock collapse at an altitude of about 5,200 meters caused the glacier to break off and flow down into the valley."

Satellite imagery also clearly captures the traces of the collapse.

In a photo taken on the 24th, before the collapse, the ridge beneath the snow-covered Langtang Lirung peak appears distinct. However, in the photo taken on the 26th, the day the landslide occurred, a portion of the ridge is cut off as if erased by an eraser.

The area where the bedrock collapsed in the photo is estimated to be 1 square kilometer in scale.

[Matthieu Vuilleumier / Distinguished Professor, University at Albany (Note: Translated based on provided name/title context): There are already loosened rocks or unstable glaciers existing on top of the mountain, and they get stimulated by certain triggers.]

The bedrock collapse mixed glaciers and rocks together. As they rushed down the steep V-shaped valley, the glacier melted into a debris flow, sweeping downstream at speeds reaching up to 70 kilometers per hour.

[Xu Qiang / President, Chengdu University of Technology: This incident can be classified as initially occurring as a glacial-rock landslide and subsequently developing into a debris flow.]

Experts analyzed that permafrost, which had long supported the rocks and glaciers, became unstable due to climate change, ultimately leading to this landslide and massive flood.

(Video Editing: Park Choon-bae)

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