Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Destroys Much of Thame Village
| Event date | 16 August 2024, about 1:25 p.m. |
|---|---|
| Location | Thame, Bhote Koshi valley, Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality |
| Type | Flood and natural disaster; infrastructure |
| Deaths | None reported |
| Displaced | 135 people, about 40 of them children |
| Damage | Homes, lodges, a school, a health post, a hydropower plant and a bridge; counts differ by source (see below) |
| Verification | Verified |
| Status | Recovery ongoing |
In the early afternoon of 16 August 2024 a surge of water, mud and boulders came down the Bhote Koshi and through Thame, the village west of Namche known as the home of many of Everest’s most experienced Sherpa climbers. It was a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) from the Thyanbo lakes, about 10 km upstream.
Researchers describe it as a cascading event: something, most likely falling rock, ice or debris, dropped into an upper lake and sent a wave over its moraine outlet, and that surge then broke through a second lake below. Because it happened in daylight, residents had time to get out of the way, and no one was killed.
The damage was still severe. ICIMOD reported that the flood destroyed 25 homes and guesthouses along with a school, a health post, a local hydropower plant and a major bridge downstream; other tallies list 14 properties (7 homes, 5 hotels, the school and the health post) as destroyed outright. About 135 people were displaced, and losses within the rural municipality were later estimated at about US$6.18 million. The flood cut a new river channel through the settlement.
Thame became a reference case for how warming is increasing glacial hazards in the Khumbu. A UNDP programme funded through the Green Climate Fund (about US$36 million) is aimed at strengthening GLOF risk management in Nepal.
Sources
- ICIMOD — "GLOF from Thyanbo glacial lake sweeps away Thame Village"
- Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences — study of the cascading Thame GLOF
- Wikipedia — 2024 Thame flood
- Explorersweb — "Everest Region: Thame Village Flooded"
Last reviewed 29 September 2026. Written in Merolog’s own words from the sources listed; where sources disagree, each figure is attributed rather than merged. Spotted an error or a newer figure? Leave a comment on this entry.