By Swati
August 26, 2026
Nepal
A new claim by Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal has added another dimension to the devastating flash floods that have ravaged northern Nepal.According to the claim, an earthquake struck first, followed by a sudden breach of a glacial lake, triggering a massive rush of water downstream. The revelation has raised fresh questions over what exactly caused the catastrophic flooding along the Nepal-Tibet border.However, the precise trigger remains under investigation. Initial reports from Nepal and international agencies have pointed to an ice-and-rock avalanche or glacier-related event as a possible cause of the sudden surge. River Turns Into a Wall of WaterThe sudden release of water sent the Bhote Koshi and connected river systems into a violent surge, sweeping through settlements in Rasuwa district.Homes, bridges, roads and other infrastructure were damaged or completely washed away, while huge quantities of mud, rocks and debris turned affected areas into scenes of devastation.First Earthquake, Then Flood’ Claim.The reported statement attributed to Foreign Minister Khanal suggests that the disaster may have begun with seismic activity that destabilised a glacial lake, followed by a sudden release of water.If confirmed, such a sequence could explain the extremely rapid rise in river levels. However, officials and scientists are still examining the event, and the earthquake-lake breach theory should not yet be treated as an established fact.Nepal’s Foreign Ministry has previously highlighted the country’s growing vulnerability to glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) as Himalayan glaciers retreat. Search for the Real Cause Continues .The disaster has already claimed lives and left hundreds of people unaccounted for, while rescue operations remain difficult because of high water levels and damaged infrastructure. Reuters reported that the cause of the inundation was not immediately clear and noted that a similar Bhote Koshi flood in 2025 was linked to the sudden drainage of a supraglacial lake in Tibet. As rescue teams continue their operations, authorities are now trying to establish whether an earthquake, an avalanche, a glacial lake breach — or a combination of these events — triggered the catastrophic flash flood.Nepal is facing a Himalayan catastrophe of extraordinary scale, and the latest claim of an earthquake followed by a sudden lake breach could open a new chapter in the investigation into what triggered the deadly flood.
