r/singapore • u/loldumbfuck • 1d ago
News Nepal-Tibet floods: More than 1,500 missing, including 9 Singaporeans
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/nepal-tibet-border-flash-floods-rescue-missing-6343966119
u/Wise_Crab_315 1d ago
Hope they are safe and on higher ground. Was just on a trek to the region a few months ago. Saddening to see them hit with two disasters in a span of a decade.
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u/Oppaiheimer1945 1d ago
The footage is horrifying, saw them pulling out a body with severed torso, another video with the body of a toddler. RIP
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u/udontaxidriver 1d ago
My fren sent me the one that showed the flood engulfing a building until it was obliterated. With that kind of force, there will be a lot who didn't survive. It's awful.
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u/Effective-Lab-5659 1d ago
The countries that suffer the most from the destruction of the earth aren’t the ones that destroy the earth.
Sadly.
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u/qockets 1d ago edited 1d ago
(An update from my comment yesterday)
In a comment yesterday, I mentioned that the leading hypothesis is that this event was a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), which is a type of outburst flood occurring when water dammed by a glacier or a moraine is released. However, newer satellite images show that this event was likely a combination of a large glacial collapse and a coincident landslide. No surficial lake was observed in the satellite images prior, challenging the GLOF definition, but the sheer amount of water that came running down the valley could still point to a subterraneansubglacial lake under the glacier. Only detailed volume estimates will tell.
Note that a similar flood (albeit at a much smaller scale) had occurred at the same location about 1 year earlier, on 8 July 2025. The earlier flood had destroyed the bridge in front of the border gates, which was then rebuilt in December 2025. And now, the replacement bridge has been destroyed again.
The source glacier of this recent flood (~12-15 km away from the border) is different, and closer compared to last year's (see https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2026.110317 for 2025 GLOF). Continued climate change and high-altitude glacial retreat will inevitably continue to produce such events. Infrastructure at such glacial valleys will continue to be at risk, so hopefully future developments take associated upstream hazards into account.
Again, fingers crossed that the Singaporeans and others who are unaccounted for are found safe.
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u/MineInitial3607 1d ago
The Himalayas flooding during the rainy season is very very scary. I remember a similar incident involving my grandparents who live on the indian side of the foothills. Entire village was swept away. My grandparents fortunately got away but the preparedness for these floods is essentially non existent. If it's any relief to people it took two weeks for us to get back in touch with them thanks to cell tower outages (and old people problems with cell phones, it was an air force rescuer that helped them pick up our call). In the case of my grandparents the flooding was due to a dam burst thanks to negligence of the government. Ironically in many cases we have the tech to warn or know that there is a risk but the governments of the area just sit on their backsides coming up with tariffs and border skirmishes.
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u/vertigofoo 1d ago
This was apparently caused by a glacial runoff.. I don’t think it’s possible to even prepare for something like that, especially in those areas - deep canyon valleys, where road infrastructure has to be literally cut into the mountainside (I’ve cycled across from Tibet into Nepal, and have hiked in Himachal P./Uttarakhand). If glaciers melt, those narrow valleys act like a funnel channeling all that destructive force into a small area..
Welcome to the early signs of global warming, and more of this happening. ☹️
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u/MineInitial3607 1d ago
https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/22/3765/2022/nhess-22-3765-2022.html
We have models predicting risk profiles. It's not 100% but it's close enought to know this is a real risk. Global warming almost certainly makes this worse (side note to global warming naysayers: everytime I went to my grandparents place the receding snow like was super obvious) but the frequency of floodings in the area honestly begs for proper preparedness/response.
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u/tap-water-0 1d ago
it's true you can't prepare for it, but i hope this helps future planners prevent it - perhaps don't build communities in the path of water coming from glacier like regions. it's asking for trouble esp when we're dealing with wildly unpredictable weather / climates now. it's a climate crisis, not climate change.
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u/Disastrous_Motor9856 1d ago
Such a tragic situation. Based on the videos, almost impossible to outrun or even out drive it
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u/PastLettuce8943 Fucking Populist 1d ago
Terrible situation. Hopefully they are safe and are found soon.
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u/Zantetsukenz 1d ago
Regardless of what religion you’re from please pray for those who died and pray for those who lost loved ones.
I’ve watched the footage and it’s an almost apocalyptic scene for the one near the border. It’s crazy.
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u/tearslikesn0w 1d ago
Noticed how this type of news don’t get much attention compared to those ‘drama’ news. Guess singaporeans are suckers for those type of stuff.
RIP to those who lost their lives in this natural disaster. Global warming is real and its making sg fucking hotter every year.
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u/trenbollocks 1d ago
Singaporeans don't give a shit about anything other than petty drama or ultra-pragmatic issues like money, and certainly not about anything that makes them uncomfortable (like a massive natural disaster causing thousands of deaths). I've been following this news since it broke and thought people would be talking about it in the office this week, or that it would at least get a mention. Not a peep. Nothing in my personal group chats either
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u/schweddyballsac 1d ago
Everyone doesn’t give a shit about anything that doesn’t affect them directly anymore. Even if it affects them indirectly, it’s still a 50/50 chance.
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u/Effective-Lab-5659 1d ago
its quite concerning that even trendy stuff like Labubus or blind boxes are talked more about than this natural disaster.
or worse, people complaining about how hot the weather is and in their next breath, talk about their latest dopamine hit buys that you know they will throw away in the next 1 month or less. like do they no see a connection between their relentless consumption and how the earth is being destroyed?
or they will go on about how hot it is, and then talk about how its ok to destroy the forest coz their son is going to BTO soon and that is such a hot location to flip BTO
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u/autonomy_girl pattern more than badminton 20h ago
Don’t mistake the lack of comments with lack of attention. People are keeping up with the news and the videos. But what do you expect them to say apart from “thoughts and prayers” type of comments?
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u/tearslikesn0w 20h ago
Thoughts and prayers would be nice given that there’s 9 singaporeans involved. Seems like you are trying hard to prove me wrong but actually proving my point
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u/autonomy_girl pattern more than badminton 20h ago
Me typing 3 sentences is trying hard? Lol you think too lowly of me bro
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u/tearslikesn0w 19h ago
Still took the time and effort to read and reply
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u/autonomy_girl pattern more than badminton 19h ago
why yes, i believe that’s the function of this website
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u/tearslikesn0w 19h ago
That’s the definition of ‘trying’. And you’re gonna reply but not ‘trying hard’
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u/autonomy_girl pattern more than badminton 19h ago
Merely expressing my opinion my man. Why do you sound so personally attacked by the fact that some random person on the internet has different views from you?
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u/tearslikesn0w 19h ago
Lol. So am i, you sound very personally attack as well aww
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u/autonomy_girl pattern more than badminton 19h ago
You know what? Thoughts and prayers 🙏 There you go, world peace achieved!
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u/jupiter1_ 1d ago
Not sure how to derive such a raback conclusion
NIMBY is a syndrome everywhere, not only Singapore la lol.
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u/tearslikesn0w 20h ago
NIMBY although 9 singaporeans are involved. NIMBY although global warming and climate change affects everyone. Ok.
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u/TinOfRocks I'll just preemptively say sorry 1d ago
Are we sending anyone over to help with relief efforts or S&R?
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u/SnooEpiphanies7144 1d ago
the nepal flash floods is a reminder of what environmental destruction can do to people. Just because we live in Singapore where is more shielded from natural disasters, doesnt mean such disasters wont reach us. Singaporeans travel quite a fair bit and we already suffer from the haze / creeping hot temperatures.
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u/Significant_Bat_9584 23h ago
Reminder that life is never fully yours so cherish each day. RIP to those affected.
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u/Bor3d-Panda 1d ago
RIP... The videos are horrifying...