India, Aug. 26 -- A torrent of ice, rock, mud and water rushed down a river along the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday, sending a mudslide sweeping through towns and villages that killed dozens and left hundreds missing.

Hamlets, hydropower plants, bridges, roads and outposts were all washed away in the deluge in Nepal.

While it's still unclear where the avalanche originated from or what set it off early on Wednesday morning, scientists and researchers suspect the destruction may have been triggered by a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF).

A number of GLOFs have sparked widespread destruction across the Himalayan belt and destroyed cities and towns nestled in the ranges over the past few years, including the devastating October 2023 flo...