Nepal floods kill at least 160; 9 South Koreans missing as USGS rules out earthquake

USGS corrects earlier report, citing magnitude-5.2 glacial collapse event

Experts warn of second flood risk as blockage remains upstream

Nine South Koreans at hydropower construction site unaccounted for

The death toll from catastrophic flooding in the Himalayan highlands of north-central Nepal, near the Chinese border, has risen to at least 160.

An earthquake initially blamed for triggering the disaster was not a seismic event at all, the US Geological Survey said after further analysis, concluding that the tremors were caused by a massive glacial collapse and landslide.

Nepalese police recovered 157 bodies during search operations Wednesday (local time), according to AP and AFP. China's state broadcaster CCTV reported three additional deaths in Tibet near the border, bringing the confirmed death toll to at least 160.

Nepal's tourism authorities said 403 tourists remain missing, including 341 foreigners. Twenty-eight police officers have also lost contact, officials said. China separately reported 265 people missing in the Gyirong County area of Tibet.

Nine South Koreans — employees of Korea South-East Power (KOEN) and Doosan Enerbility working at a nearby hydropower plant construction site — are also among the missing.

The South Korean government plans to dispatch a joint rapid-response team comprising officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Fire Agency and the Korean National Police Agency to support search and rescue operations on the ground.

Entire villages were swallowed by mud and debris, and at least 19 bridges were washed away.

The USGS revised its earlier assessment, which had attributed the disaster to a magnitude-4.4 earthquake, reclassifying the event as a magnitude-5.2 glacial collapse.

"A magnitude-5.2 seismic event occurred near the Nepal-China border," the USGS said. "We determined that the event was caused by a glacial collapse and debris flow, which had cascading catastrophic effects downstream."

The agency said the event was initially reported as a magnitude-4.4 earthquake, but additional analysis of nearby seismic stations, long-period seismic waves and satellite imagery led it to conclude that no earthquake had occurred.

Climate scientists at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), headquartered in Kathmandu, said a massive avalanche from a warming Himalayan glacier most likely blocked a river before the dam burst and sent torrents rushing downstream.

Zhang Changqing, ICIMOD's head of climate and environmental hazards, warned that a second flood remains possible. "There is still a blockage upstream on the river along the Nepal-China border," he said.

mokiya@heraldcorp.com