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Joanna Lumley Mourns Nepal Flood Victims
3 Sep
Summary
- Joanna Lumley expressed heartbreak over the Nepal flash flood disaster.
- She suggested the disaster could have been predicted due to climate change.
- Over 1,200 deaths and 4,200 missing confirmed in the flash flood.
Actor Dame Joanna Lumley voiced her sorrow and concern regarding the recent flash flood in Nepal, attending a vigil in London to support affected communities. She conveyed that the catastrophic event "broke her heart" and suggested that warnings about climate change and its impact on glacial melt in the Himalayas should have prompted better prediction.
Lumley believes human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and plastic waste, contribute to a warming world, making it more vulnerable to such disasters. She cited the melting of Himalayan glaciers as a known precursor to events like this.
As of Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nepal confirmed that 1,252 deaths have been recorded since the flash flood on August 26. The number of missing persons stands at approximately 4,200, including 590 foreign nationals from 34 different countries. Additionally, 36 British nationals remain unaccounted for.
The United States Geological Survey reported that a magnitude 5.2 seismic event near the Nepal-China border preceded a "glacial collapse and debris flow," leading to the downstream catastrophe. Rescue efforts were further complicated by fears of additional flooding from a newly formed glacial lake.
