Natural Disasters

'Nepal disaster highlights need for multi-hazard assessment of Himalayas'

The Himalayas face the threat of a cascading disaster, where a single high-altitude calamity can trigger avalanches, block rivers and unleash flash floods, rapidly magnifying destruction downstream -- a danger laid bare by Nepal's recent catastrophe, said a senior Geological Survey of India official. Therefore, Himalayan hazards cannot be assessed in isolation, he pointed out and stressed the need for combining satellite-based observations with field investigations and ground instrumentation. A case in point is the Nepal disaster that appears to have involved cascading processes. Satellite analysis identified an impoundment near the Langtang Lirung ice-rock avalanche site, with imagery of August 28 showing an approximately 11-hectare water impounded area. This provides evidence that the initial ice-rock failure was associated with temporary obstruction and water accumulation in the river system, said Pradeep Singh, the ADG of Policy Support System at the Geological Survey of ...

Nepal woman rescued from debris 10 days after devastating floods

A rescue from a mostly buried house gave new hope to a town devastated by floods in Nepal. Earlier Saturday, another survivor had been pulled from a tunnel

Why Nepal's flood aftermath may be more complex than the disaster itself

From a $4-5 billion rebuilding bill and damaged hydropower to broken trade routes, lost livelihoods and weak local capacity, Nepal's recovery could stretch far beyond the floodwaters

Beyond the flood: What Nepal's disaster means for Himalayan ecosystems

The floodwaters have receded, but Nepal's rivers, slopes and habitats may bear deeper scars. What does a debris-heavy flash flood leave behind in one of the world's most fragile ecosystems?

Using tech to predict the next natural disaster, strengthen early warnings

Advanced algorithms and satellite networks are transforming real-time climate forecasting to save lives around the world

Nepal flash floods: Death toll reaches 626, over 2,400 still missing

The death toll from flash floods in central Nepal rose to 626 on Saturday, with more bodies being recovered and nearly 2,000 people still missing following the disaster. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said the bodies were recovered from eight districts of the Himalayan nation. According to the NDRRMA, 233 bodies were recovered from Chitwan, 158 from Nawalparasi East, 51 from Nuwakot, 48 from Gorkha, 47 from Nawalparasi West, 45 from Dhading, 31 from Tanahu and 13 from Rasuwa. The flash floods swept through Rasuwa and other parts of central Nepal on Wednesday, causing loss of life and widespread damage to settlements, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure, while leaving nearly 2,000 people missing. Nearly 2,500 stranded people have been evacuated by rescue teams in Nepal as search and relief operations continued for a fourth day on Saturday. On Friday, the NDRRMA said rising water levels at the flash flood site increased the risk of ..

Datanomics: Share of flood spending declines in vulnerable states

India's disaster count has risen over three decades, while storms are gaining pace and spending on flood and irrigation management in vulnerable states is falling

Nepal flash floods: Death toll jumps to 469, over 1,500 still missing

The Ministry of External Affairs has said 290 Indian nationals remain uncontactable, while the Centre is making "urgent efforts" to ascertain their whereabouts and coordinate their rescue

Nepal floods: 270 killed, nearly 288 Indians among thousands missing

Nearly 160 people were killed and over 750, including 133 Indian nationals, remain missing after a massive flash flood originating in Tibet swept through central Nepal on Wednesday, devastating several towns and villages, washing away critical bridges, and crippling a dozen hydropower projects. Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal told the parliament that an earthquake hit the Tibet region at 8:37 am (local time) and the flash floods were reported three minutes later, suggesting the tremors may have caused a glacial outburst which triggered the floods. The flood surged through the Bhote Koshi River affecting Rasuwa and Dhading districts bordering Tibet, officials said. The massive flood entered the Trishuli River through the Bhote Koshi in Timure, a border-town in Rasuwa district, due to the rockslide and swelling of the Lhende River situated along the Nepal-Tibet border, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said. It then spread along the river course to ot

From Rasuwa to Bihar: How Nepal's flash floods can travel into India

A flash flood in Nepal's Rasuwa district has raised flood concerns in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Here's how the Trishuli-Narayani-Gandak river system connects Nepal to India

Explained: Why Nepal is so vulnerable to nature's destructive forces

Nepal flash floods: From earthquakes and landslides to flash floods and glacial hazards, Nepal's geography and a warming climate are creating a growing challenge for people and infrastructure

Glacial collapse triggered Nepal flash floods, not earthquake: USGS

The Nepal flash floods were triggered by a glacial collapse and not by a 4.4 magnitude earthquake as reported earlier, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. The USGS said additional analysis of the long-period seismic waves indicated that the tremors were generated by a glacial collapse and debris flow. The flash floods originating in Tibet on Wednesday left a trail of death and destruction in Rasuwa and Dhading districts of Nepal, killing 162 people and leaving 750, including 133 Indian nationals, missing. "This event was initially reported as a magnitude 4.4 earthquake. Additional analysis of nearby seismic stations, long period seismic waves, and satellite imagery led to the determination that the seismic event was instead a glacial collapse and debris flow, and that no earthquake had occurred," the USGS said in an update to its note on the event. It also upgraded the magnitude of the seismic event to 5.2 from the 4.4 assessed earlier. "The USGS determined that the seismic even

Typhoon Noul makes landfall in southern China, over 340,000 evacuated

Typhoon Noul made landfall early Sunday and was bringing winds and heavy rain to southern China, including Hong Kong, over the weekend. It prompted the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people in Guangdong province with the region on high alert and dozens of flights were cancelled. China's national weather centre said Noul made landfall along the coast of Huidong county of the city of Huizhou in the southern Guangdong province at approximately 3:50 am local time on Sunday. Hong Kong's Observatory said Noul, with maximum sustained winds of 145 kph (90 mph) near its centre, was moving Sunday into inland Guangdong and weakening progressively, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to parts of the region. More than 3,40,000 people had been relocated for safety by Saturday afternoon in Guangdong province, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Train services in the province were canceled for Sunday, according to the China News Service. China's National Meteorological Centre expected pa

Why earthquakes of similar magnitude can have very different outcomes

Venezuela and Japan were both rocked by powerful earthquakes on June 24, but why did one suffer widespread destruction while the other escaped with limited damage?

Floods and landslides kill 77 in Afghanistan over 10 days, says authorities

Widespread flooding, landslides and lightning strikes triggered by heavy rain and storms across Afghanistan have left 77 people dead and 137 injured over the past 10 days, the country's Disaster Management Authority said Saturday. More rain has been forecast for the coming days throughout Afghanistan, and the authority warned the public to stay away from river banks and areas prone to flooding. So far this year, dozens of people have died due to extreme weather in Afghanistan, an impoverished country that is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events. Earlier this year, heavy snowfall and flash floods left dozens of people dead across the country. The recent toll includes 26 people killed over the past 48 hours, the disaster authority said. Overall, 793 homes have been completely destroyed and a further 2,673 have been damaged, while floods and landslides have destroyed 337 kilometres (about 210 miles) of roads, it said. Businesses, agricultural land, water wells and irrigation ..

4.3 magnitude earthquake strikes Udayapur district in western Nepal

An earthquake of magnitude 4.3 hit Udayapur district in eastern Nepal, officials said. There were no immediate reports of loss of lives or damage of any kind due to the quake. The earthquake struck at 10:51 pm on Saturday with its epicentre located at Bagapati in the Udayapur district, according to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre (NEMRC). The tremors were also felt by people from the neighbouring districts. Earlier on Saturday morning, an earthquake measuring 4.6 magnitude hit the Taplejung district in western Nepal. Nepal, which experiences multiple quakes in any given year, lies in one of the most active tectonic zones (Seismic zones IV and V); it makes the Himalayan nation extremely vulnerable to earthquakes.

Wildfires and natural disasters cost world over $120 bn in 2025: Report

Heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, and storms cost the world more than USD 120 billion in 2025, according to a new report analysing the escalating cost of climate change. The report by UK-based NGO Christian Aid underscores the cost with fossil fuel companies playing a central role in driving the crisis. The report noted that cost of climate inaction is equally clear, as communities continue to bear the brunt of a crisis that could have been averted with urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "These disasters are not natural they are the predictable result of continued fossil fuel expansion and political delay," said Emeritus Professor Joanna Haigh, at Imperial College London. The ten most financially costly events all had an impact of more than USD billion with the combined total topping more than USD 122 billion in damage. Most of these estimates are based only on insured losses, meaning the true financial costs are likely to be even higher, while the human costs are ofte

Himachal in 2025: Disasters, rush to rebuild, debt keep state on edge

A debilitating natural disaster, constant financial crunch, and war against 'chitta' marked the year in Himachal Pradesh, which also witnessed historic court verdicts and a furore over the mysterious death of a power corporation engineer. Excessive rains during the monsoon caused havoc, triggering multiple cloudbursts, flash floods, and landslides in the state. Nature's fury spared none, reducing houses, roads, bridges, and public utilities to rubble, stranding many and killing at least 240 people. Chamba, Mandi, Kullu, and Kangra districts were hit the most severely. The government invoked Section 34 of the National Disaster Management Act and declared the entire state "disaster-affected." By the end of it, the government pegged the state losses at Rs 5,000 crore. The widespread destruction drew the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited the wrecked districts and announced a relief package of Rs 1,500 crore. That was hardly the end of it. The Congress government

From Air India crash to Hayli Gubbi volcano, 2025 was marked by calamities

From plane crashes and fires to stampedes, floods, and cyclones, 2025 drew attention to the steep human cost of systemic lapses, climate stress, and fragile disaster preparedness

Wildfires rage in Australia, destroy 40 homes, kill one firefighter

A firefighter has died battling blazes that have destroyed around 40 homes in two Australian states, officials said Monday. The 59-year-old man was struck by a falling tree Sunday night while fighting a wildfire near the New South Wales town of Bulahdelah that had razed 3,500 hectares of woodlands and destroyed four homes over the weekend, Rural Fire Service Commissioner Trent Curtin said. The man could not be resuscitated. Firefighters expected to be battling that blaze for days, Curtin said. There were 52 wildfires burning across New South Wales on Monday and nine remained out of control. A total of 20 homes had destroyed over the weekend in that state, Curtin said. In the island state of Tasmania, 19 homes had been destroyed by a weekend wildfire in the coastal community of Dolphin Sands, local government official Dick Shaw told Australian Broadcasting Corp. The fire had been contained by Monday, but the road to the community remained closed and it was not yet safe for resident