Sheila Chang
New member
The sequence reported so far is:
1. August 26 — the catastrophic flood begins upstream.
A large ice/rock collapse near the Nepal–China border entered the Lhende Khola/Bhote Koshi system, producing an enormous surge of water, rock and debris. The surge then propagated into the Trishuli River and downstream communities. The USGS interpretation indicates that the seismic signal initially thought possibly to be an earthquake was actually generated by the collapse itself.
2. The flood carried enormous amounts of material downstream.
The event transported water, mud, boulders and other debris through the Bhote Koshi–Trishuli system. Satellite imagery and field reporting show extensive deposition and destruction along the river corridor.
3. August 28 — explosive material was discovered on the Trishuli riverbank at Silingtar, Gorkha.
The Nepali Army's Rudradhwaj Battalion subsequently safely disposed of the material. Importantly, the report says an Army officer indicated that the material may have been swept there by the recent flood.
The key questions are:
1. August 26 — the catastrophic flood begins upstream.
A large ice/rock collapse near the Nepal–China border entered the Lhende Khola/Bhote Koshi system, producing an enormous surge of water, rock and debris. The surge then propagated into the Trishuli River and downstream communities. The USGS interpretation indicates that the seismic signal initially thought possibly to be an earthquake was actually generated by the collapse itself.
2. The flood carried enormous amounts of material downstream.
The event transported water, mud, boulders and other debris through the Bhote Koshi–Trishuli system. Satellite imagery and field reporting show extensive deposition and destruction along the river corridor.
3. August 28 — explosive material was discovered on the Trishuli riverbank at Silingtar, Gorkha.
The Nepali Army's Rudradhwaj Battalion subsequently safely disposed of the material. Importantly, the report says an Army officer indicated that the material may have been swept there by the recent flood.
The key questions are:
- What exactly were the explosives found at Silingtar?
Type, manufacturer, markings, quantity and packaging could potentially identify their origin. - Where were they before the flood?
If they came from an Army training range upstream, that's much more interesting than if they came from a construction/hydropower site. - How far upstream were they found?
The distance from the initiating collapse could help determine whether the flood plausibly transported them. - Were military blasting exercises conducted near Lhende Khola/Rasuwa immediately before August 26?
- Was there any seismic signature of an explosion before the glacier/rock collapse?
This is particularly important. An explosion and a natural landslide/glacier collapse produce different seismic characteristics, and seismic records could potentially distinguish them. - Can the explosives found on August 28 be chemically or physically matched to military stocks or a particular project?
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