Drone captures moment glacier breaks off, triggering deadly Nepal floods
What's the story
Drone footage has inadvertently recorded the glacier collapse that triggered devastating floods in Nepal and Tibet last week. The video, shot by a Chinese photographer, shows a large mass of bedrock and glacial ice breaking off near Langtang Lirung peak. This event led to flash floods in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers, killing 903 people in Nepal and 16 in Tibet on August 26.
Twitter Post
Drone footage of avalanche
A Chinese photographer accidentally captured the catastrophic avalanche on Mount Lamtang in Nepal during a drone shoot.
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) August 28, 2026
[📹 HeyMu. Travel] pic.twitter.com/rgWylkezSC
Government response
Prime minister calls situation 'unimaginable'
Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah has described the situation as an "unimaginable and heartbreaking natural disaster."
He said the floods have made it extremely difficult to assess the full extent of loss in terms of life, property, and infrastructure.
Despite adverse weather conditions and difficult terrain, Shah assured that efforts are underway to protect citizens.
Historical context
Glacier collapses have happened before
This incident is not an isolated one. In 2021, a similar avalanche in Uttarakhand killed or left missing around 200 people, including many dam workers.
The 2023 thawing permafrost incident in Sikkim sent over 13 billion gallons of water rushing down the mountain, damaging several structures.
A similar event occurred in Switzerland's Birch Glacier in 2025, burying most of Blatten village.
Information warfare
Nepal launches portal to combat misinformation
As rescue operations continue, Nepal is also grappling with a deluge of misinformation on social media using fake and AI-generated visuals.
The Nepal Press Council has launched a portal for reporting misleading content related to the disaster.
Chairman Umesh Shrestha said 72 social media users have been asked to remove inappropriate posts.