Archive · 29 Aug 2026
Images Reveal Glacier Collapse Behind Nepal’s Deadly Flood
A large piece of a glacier broke away high in the mountains of Tibet.
The rock underneath it also collapsed, making the event much bigger.
Ice, snow, rocks and dirt rushed down the valley.
The debris hit the Lhende River and briefly blocked it.
When the blockage broke, a huge wave of muddy water and debris moved downstream.
The flood crossed into Nepal and damaged towns and villages.
It destroyed roads, bridges and hydropower facilities.
The Gyirong border crossing was also overwhelmed.
The report says at least 669 people died and 2,426 people were still missing.
A glacier and part of the underlying bedrock collapsed in Tibet’s Shigatse region on August 26.
The failure sent ice, snow, rocks and sediment roughly 1,200 metres down from about 5,200 metres.
Debris briefly blocked the Lhende River before water, mud, ice and rock surged downstream.
The flood devastated Nepal’s Trishuli corridor, destroying roads, bridges and hydropower projects.
At least 669 people died in Nepal, while 2,426 remained unaccounted for, according to the report.
- Who
- Communities in Nepal were affected after a glacier and mountainside in Tibet collapsed.
- What
- A glacier-related landslide triggered a destructive debris flood.
- When
- The glacier failure occurred on August 26; the report does not specify the year.
- Where
- The collapse occurred in Tibet’s Shigatse region, near the Lhende River, and the flooding struck Nepal’s Trishuli corridor.
- Why
- Experts said a bedrock failure carried part of the glacier downhill, briefly blocking the river before the barrier gave way.
- Origin
- A mountainside and glacier collapsed in Tibet’s Shigatse region.
- Date of collapse
- August 26; the year is not specified in the report.
- Starting elevation
- About 5,200 metres.
- Estimated descent
- Roughly 1,200 metres.
- River affected
- The Lhende River, about 20 kilometres northeast of the Nepal-China border crossing.
- Deaths in Nepal
- At least 669.
- Unaccounted for
- 2,426 people.