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China-Nepal floods: first research shows that no one could have outrun debris flow
South China Morning Post • • world
Key Points:
- A recent peer-reviewed study analyzed the devastating floodwaters that struck a border crossing between China and Nepal, highlighting the extreme speed of the disaster's progression.
- The floodwaters moved at nearly twice the average speed of Usain Bolt's 100m world record run and 50% faster than his top speed, underscoring the rapid onset of the event.
- The disaster involved a sequence starting with an ice avalanche, transitioning into debris flow, then mudslide, and finally flooding, which occurred in a very short timeframe.
- Due to the swift progression from avalanche to flood, there was minimal effective response time, emphasizing the need for rapid identification, information sharing, and emergency decision-making in such events.
