The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) has reached a preliminary conclusion that Tuesday’s devastating flood from the Lhende Stream in Rasuwa was caused by a supraglacial lake outburst in China.

According to satellite data, the flood was likely triggered by the bursting of a supraglacial lake (a lake formed on top of a glacier), located about 36 kilometers north from the Nepal-China border at Rasuwagadhi (latitude 28.4043, longitude 85.6469), at an altitude of around 5,150 meters.

Before the incident, the lake covered approximately 0.74 square kilometers. After the flood, its area was found to have decreased to around 0.60 square kilometers. This change in size indicates a significant release of water, supporting the conclusion that a lake outburst caused the flood in the Lhende Stream.

Flood expert Binod Parajuli from the Department stated that further information is expected from China and upcoming satellite images will help clarify the details of the incident. The Department will continue its study of the event.

The International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has earlier also suggested that the flood was caused by the outburst of the glacier lake.