Glacier collapse may have triggered deadly Nepal flash flood, experts say

Andrew Zolli, Planet's chief impact officer, said his organisation would be releasing fuller imagery soon under an open license to aid frontline response.

"Dan's analysis suggests this may have been the result of a glacier collapse, due to rapid melting," Zolli wrote on LinkedIn. "Whether that, in turn, had a climate component is something that I'm sure will get scrutiny in the days to come."

Several hydropower projects are located in the worst-affected areas in the mountainous district of Rasuwa, which has a population of about 50,000.

Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said the "glacier-inclusive flood" occurred in the Lhende River due to a landslide that took place around 20 km (12 miles) northeast of a Nepal-China border crossing.

"The flash floods were caused by an ice-rock avalanche on the Nepali side," said Prakash Pokharel, a geologist at the authority who has reviewed the Planet Labs images.