May 22, Kathmandu- A specialized government team has arrived in Humla district to investigate the avalanche and flash flood that affected Tilgaun in Namkha Rural Municipality. The three-member team, led by Senior Divisional Engineer Sushil Kumar Shrestha from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, reached Simikot, the district headquarters, this morning.

The team also includes Hydrologist Engineer Sauhadra Joshi from the Department of Water and Meteorology and Senior Divisional Geologist Shiva Kumar Baskota from the Department of Mines and Geology. According to Humla Chief District Officer Narayan Pandey, the team plans to visit the affected areas today to assess the situation firsthand.

Initially, the experts had left Kathmandu for Nepalgunj on Tuesday but were delayed due to adverse weather conditions. They arrived in Simikot this morning and are expected to proceed to the disaster site shortly.

The incident involved a sudden flood on the night of Jestha 1, which caused significant damage to Tilgaun in Namkha Rural Municipality-6. Eighteen families have been displaced and are currently living in tents. Preliminary observations suggest that the flood may have been triggered by water flowing from two glacial lakes situated at approximately 5,300 meters above sea level. Locals visited these lakes and identified them as the potential source of the flood, but the exact scientific explanation for how the water was suddenly released remains unclear.

The Kathmandu-based expert team is expected to conduct detailed investigations to determine the scientific causes behind the glacial lake outburst and the subsequent flooding, aiming to help prevent similar incidents in the future.