Nepal flood devastation revealed in satellite imagery - BBC News (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd68vpjv21do) (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd68vpjv21do) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd68vpjv21do) (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd68vpjv21do) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-36.413a37b227.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-48.010dc96bcf.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-57.1fcd0dc805.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-60.52f68a148f.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-72.f155fdb25f.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-76.cb5ee392d4.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-96.35ee2d1e20.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-114.7ccdf53cba.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-120.73e20442a9.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-128.060d346f09.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-144.e08bc23631.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-152.4de1981be0.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-180.1a18cb7b72.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-192.3ac042fa43.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-384.728e3a03d3.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/touch/news/touch-icon-512.685da29e9e.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/favicon/news/favicon-16.8a240ceacc.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/website/assets/static/icons/favicon/news/favicon-32.5cf4e6db02.png) (../../../static.files.bbci.co.uk/core/manifest.11b0cb15658c4719a2c19e25644577223adaa7b2.json) (https://www.bbc.com) BBC Homepage (cd68vpjv21do@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#main-heading) Skip to content (https://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility/) Accessibility Help (https://account.bbc.com/account?lang=en-GB&ptrt=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticles%2Fcd68vpjv21do) Your account (https://www.bbc.com) Home (https://www.bbc.com/news) News (https://www.bbc.com/sport) Sport (https://www.bbc.com/future/earth) Earth (https://www.bbc.com/reel) Reel (https://www.bbc.com/worklife) Worklife (https://www.bbc.com/travel) Travel (https://www.bbc.com/culture) Culture (https://www.bbc.com/future) Future (https://www.bbc.com/culture/music) Music (https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl9m) TV (https://www.bbc.com/weather) Weather (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds) Sounds (cd68vpjv21do@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#global-navigation-more-menu) More menu (cd68vpjv21do@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#global-navigation-more-menu) More menu (https://www.bbc.com/search?d=NEWS_GNL) Search BBC (https://www.bbc.com) Home (https://www.bbc.com/news) News (https://www.bbc.com/sport) Sport (https://www.bbc.com/future/earth) Earth (https://www.bbc.com/reel) Reel (https://www.bbc.com/worklife) Worklife (https://www.bbc.com/travel) Travel (https://www.bbc.com/culture) Culture (https://www.bbc.com/future) Future (https://www.bbc.com/culture/music) Music (https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl9m) TV (https://www.bbc.com/weather) Weather (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds) Sounds (cd68vpjv21do@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#more-menu-button) Close menu (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news) BBC News (cd68vpjv21do@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#product-navigation-menu) Menu (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news) Home (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cmj34zmwm1zt) Climate (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world) World (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/us_and_canada) US & Canada (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk) UK (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business) Business (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology) Tech (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science_and_environment) Science (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment_and_arts) Entertainment & Arts (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health) Health (cd68vpjv21do@at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss.html#product-navigation-more-menu) More (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in_pictures) In Pictures (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/bbcverify) BBC Verify (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat) Newsbeat (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/asia) Asia (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/asia/china) China (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/asia/india) India Satellite images reveal scale of flood devastation in Nepal villages To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This video can not be played Figure caption, Tracing the deadly path of the Nepal-Tibet flash flood By Paul Brown and Adam Durbin BBC Verify Published 5 hours ago New satellite imagery has revealed the scale of the devastation along Nepal's Trishuli River caused by Wednesday's deadly flash flood, triggered by a glacier collapse. Before-and-after images show how sections of the valley, where a torrent of floodwater and debris surged through, destroyed villages, bridges and hydroelectric power stations. More than 550 people have been killed, Nepalese officials say, with hundreds more missing. Among the worst-hit locations reviewed by BBC Verify was a key Nepal-Tibet border crossing, which was engulfed by a rush of floodwater and captured on camera. The satellite imagery from US-based intelligence firm Vantor, shows the site has been almost entirely washed away. Shocking CCTV footage showed the moment as the deluge of water swept over buildings as people tried to escape. (Interactive or visual content) Damage and mud can be seen more than 2.5km (1.5 miles) upstream, reaching 100m (330 ft) above the area it first hit. A few miles further south is the village of Timure, which has now largely disappeared. The walls of the valley at this point are steep, reaching up to 50m above the water line. The image shows most of the houses perched on this slope are now gone or covered in mud. (Interactive or visual content) A further 10km (eight miles) downstream, where the Trishuli River winds through Syapru Besi, satellite imagery now shows the village covered by mud, rock and other debris. Houses and other structures have disappeared, including bridges and a hydroelectric power station. (Interactive or visual content) One of the larger villages to be struck by the full force of the flood was Trishuli, where some of the earliest verified footage of the disaster emerged from. A satellite image of the town and surrounding agricultural land, which is about 45km (28 miles) downstream from the border, show an entire neighbourhood has been essentially washed away. (Interactive or visual content) Verified videos of the town show a bridge collapsing as the river surges forward. At the very same moment from ground level, footage filmed from inside a bus shows people crying out in distress and trying to flee as they see the water rushing down the river. Other (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cx2z81kmeggo) dramatic videos show people sheltering inside a house, peering over the edge of a balcony as they watch a torrent of floodwater wash away almost everything around them, knocking large metal debris and a vehicle toward the building. Somehow the house remains intact and survivors can be seen in a second verified video standing surrounded by mud once the floodwater had receded. Imagery from satellite provider Planet Labs released today has also provided a clearer view of the disaster's origins at the collapsed glacier, the moment of which has been (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/ckg8l9gpvqdo) captured on a verified drone video. The satellite image shows an enormous chunk of the glacier has fallen away, carving an enormous path of rock and debris where water rushed through the valley. At the base of the landslide, trees and other vegetation have been stripped at a height of more than 300m above the riverbed. (A satellite image showing the part of the glacier that collapsed, a lake that formed on the mountain, a trail of rocks and debris and a barrier lake) This destructive path continues westwards along with the swelled river, before heading southwards. Satellite images also show the formation of a barrier lake at the base of the landslide's path, which Chinese authorities have warned poses a major risk of further flooding and has hampered rescue efforts. Dr Argha Banerjee, a glaciologist at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, told BBC Verify that it was not possible determine from the images how stable the barrier was or how likely the lake was to drain suddenly. But he said there was no significant increase in its surface area between Wednesday and Thursday, despite water continuing to flow into the lake. Dr Banerjee said there was a visible drainage channel, which suggests some water was already escaping downstream, adding that the its volume was "not alarmingly large" and appeared to have stabilised. The extent of the damage on the Tibetan side of the border remains unclear. It is a strictly controlled region which China annexed in the 1950s, where foreign media access is heavily restricted. BBC Verify has so far been unable find verifiable footage from the area. The satellite imagery - which only provides an initial glimpse into the damage of the flood - has been published by Vantor as part of its Open Data Program to help aid authorities establish where best to focus their efforts to locate the missing, rescue survivors and recover the dead. Additional reporting Shruti Menon, Merlyn Thomas and Alex Murray. Graphics by Mesut Ersoz and Mike Hill. (BBC Verify logo) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66031515) What do you want BBC Verify to investigate? Related topics (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cvenzmgyld1t) Nepal (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/c26xdmnee19t) Floods More on this story (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg8l2x8wr8o) 'High risk' of lake breaching and causing second flood, warns China Published 12 hours ago (Barrier lake formed near Nepal and Tibet border) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn5dzldq1pzo) 'Our parents were crossing the border an hour before the flood hit' Published 5 hours ago (Deepak and Madhu Ahuja looking at the camera) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd948kn02e5o) What we know about deadly Nepal-Tibet floods Published 2 hours ago (Rescue operation) (vertical video collection) The video playlist Watch our pick of standout clips from across the BBC Previous Next 1:07 How will Norway's King Harald be remembered? 00:01:07, play video How will Norway's King Harald be remembered? (A black and white photo of King Harald V in uniform. Flowers are surrounding the photo) 1:01 E-bike and e-scooter fires cause 18 deaths. 00:01:01, play video E-bike and e-scooter fires cause 18 deaths (Stills from CCTV footage of an e-scooter on fire inside a flat.) 1:07 NHS warns of chaos in ADHD and autism care in England. 00:01:07, play video NHS warns of chaos in ADHD and autism care in England (Woman in yellow jumper speaking to doctor holding iPad) 0:52 Ronnie O'Sullivan mural splits opinion. 00:00:52, play video Ronnie O'Sullivan mural splits opinion (A mural of Ronnie O'Sullivan) 0:59 Late Norwegian King remembered as a 'grandfather' to the nation. 00:00:59, play video Late Norwegian King remembered as a 'grandfather' to the nation (A woman appears upset) 0:35 Rain and thunder forecast for Bank Holiday weekend. 00:00:35, play video Rain and thunder forecast for Bank Holiday weekend (A woman in a red coat walks in the rain) 1:25 Serial rapist police officer passed vetting despite warnings. 00:01:25, play video Serial rapist police officer passed vetting despite warnings (A man with close-cropped hair looks into the camera with a blank expression) 0:55 Lake Ontario to Lake America: Can Trump rename it? 00:00:55, play video Lake Ontario to Lake America: Can Trump rename it? (A map labelling Lake Ontario as "Lake America" is displayed) 0:48 Kane discusses his Ballon d'Or chances. 00:00:48, play video Kane discusses his Ballon d'Or chances (Harry Kane appears to look towards a cut-out of the Ballon d'Or, in a composite image) 1:16 GTA 6: What we still don't know after the preview. 00:01:16, play video GTA 6: What we still don't know after the preview (The female and male characters from the new Grand Theft Auto 6 game.) 1:07 What are the symptoms of Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder? 00:01:07, play video What are the symptoms of Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder? (A person wearing a yellow and black striped tops bends the fingers on their hand back) 0:58 '£790 for jeans': How much is too much? 00:00:58, play video '£790 for jeans': How much is too much? (Man with short dark hair wearing a blue shirt.) 0:45 'Take care of yourself now' 00:00:45, play video 'Take care of yourself now' (A woman with long dark hair smiles at the camera) 0:29 Where does salmonella get its name? 00:00:29, play video Where does salmonella get its name? (Salmonella bacteria) 0:44 The spells Practical Magic 2 stars wish they could cast. 00:00:44, play video The spells Practical Magic 2 stars wish they could cast (A woman with brown hair in an up do looks into camera. She is wearing dark red dress and an ornate choker.) 0:59 What caused the Nepal-Tibet flash floods? 00:00:59, play video What caused the Nepal-Tibet flash floods? (Flooded town.) 1:03 How you can tell this Nepal flooding video is made with AI. 00:01:03, play video How you can tell this Nepal flooding video is made with AI (An AI-generated labelled image of floodwaters crashing through onto a Nepalese building.) 1:09 The skills employers actually want you to have. 00:01:09, play video The skills employers actually want you to have (A young man with wavy blond hair wearing safety goggles and using machinery.) 0:43 Xbox CEO: 'Players love physical media' 00:00:43, play video Xbox CEO: 'Players love physical media' (A woman with long dark hair dressed in all black is smiling while chatting to another woman with short red hair dressed in green.) Top stories (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cr0qxd1y219kt) Live. Number of people missing after Nepal flash floods jumps significantly to nearly 2,000 5150 viewing 5.2k viewing (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cj64kgrpgjdo) 97-year-old woman rescued after Nepali floods looked like 'a warrior' Published 1 hour ago (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93v70w79gxo) Who are the 33 British nationals missing in Nepal? Published 3 hours ago More to explore (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyx0gzynneo) Hypermobility - the little-known 'bendy disease' that causes pain and fatigue (Ella Kipling, a young woman with long dark hair, smiles at the camera. She is wearing a long, white dress with black polkadots and is standing in front of a large park with old buildings in the background.) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c74g2j83dx1o) Jacob Elordi on why The Dog Stars had him asking 'What am I missing' in life? (Jacob Elordi appears dishevelled with shaggy hair, a beard and wearing a light green t-shirt.) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgydg3gj7lo) Girl dragged under van in 'worst nightmare' crash raises thousands for rescuers (A young girl with curly hair in two bobbles. She is smiling and looking at the camera.) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czxqk1gwxn7o) I was spending £700 a month: How I beat my late-night shopping addiction (Ella Hewitt stands in a street) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjwxj692p5vo) I'm leaving the BBC after MS pain made it hard to carry on (Elizabeth in a purple jacket sits at a desk in an open-plan office. Red filing cabinets, shelves of books, computer monitors and office equipment are visible in the background, with papers and magazines on the desk in the foreground.) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2z4np5pnyo) Weekly quiz: Who is taking over as Gilderoy Lockhart in HBO's Harry Potter series? (Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart wears a brown jacket and smiles. SINGLE USE) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg0regvn77o) Former British-Israeli Hamas hostage married in Tel Aviv (Two women hold hands in white bridalwear; one wears a white tailored suit, while the other wears a lace dress.) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c39e7lpyekno) I used to live in a quiet area - now a data centre overlooks my garden (A woman with long blonde hair stands in her garden. Behind her, beyond her garden fence, is a large data centre which looks like a tall warehouse) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsletters/zkp3wsg) Royal Watch: Get the latest royal stories and analysis with Sean Coughlan’s weekly newsletter (Royal watch logo) Elsewhere on the BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0114hg9?at_mid=lV346iyg3W&at_campaign=The_Smoking_Room&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=NET&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=iplayer&at_brand=p00t3dm6&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=The_Smoking_Room&at_bbc_team=BBC) Low-key noughties sitcom starring Robert Webb and Paula Wilcox (The Smoking Room) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m003168j?at_mid=JUCsWBJ4zt&at_campaign=Desert_Island_Discs_Postcards_Keith_Richards&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=NET&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=sounds&at_brand=b006qnmr&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=Desert_Island_Discs_Postcards_Keith_Richards&at_bbc_team=BBC) Keith Richards recalls how he wrote the iconic 'Satisfaction' (Desert Island Discs: Postcards) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m00303ft?at_mid=iCQbYPAW1f&at_campaign=The_Marlow_Murder_Club_S1&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=NET&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=iplayer&at_brand=m00303fr&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=The_Marlow_Murder_Club_S1&at_bbc_team=BBC) An unlikely gang set out to catch a killer who shattered rural peace (The Marlow Murder Club) (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct8m96?at_mid=sGbVmVbNl0&at_campaign=The_Global_Story_Did_Emily_ruin_Paris&at_medium=display_ad&at_campaign_type=owned&at_nation=NET&at_audience_id=SS&at_product=sounds&at_brand=w13xtvsd&at_ptr_name=bbc&at_ptr_type=media&at_format=image&at_objective=consumption&at_link_title=The_Global_Story_Did_Emily_ruin_Paris&at_bbc_team=BBC&at_creation=News) Did Emily ruin Paris? (The Global Story) Most read 1 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyz52x45jxo) Man dies and at least six injured after sign falls at Christian festival 2 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqlwrpey1epo) Wife of man who died after turbulence sues airline 3 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj06jgq62v9o) Right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos detained by ICE 4 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93v70w79gxo) Who are the 33 British nationals missing in Nepal? 5 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8d3ml106j8o) Paul Heaton scores first number one album as Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 finally reaches top 40 6 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz0zm2j7ld1o) Russia ramps up rhetoric but wants to avoid war with Nato, Western officials say 7 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/c17j0y17epdo) Sarfaraz denies knowing about Pakistan threat to end tour 8 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0j38d9v40po) World's youngest reigning traditional monarch dies aged 34 9 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgw5el7n9lo) Reading and Leeds Festival unveils major overhaul, but will it draw in a new crowd? 10 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyx0gzynneo) Hypermobility - the little-known 'bendy disease' that causes pain and fatigue BBC News Services (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10628994) On your mobile (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/help-50068132) On smart speakers (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10628323) Get news alerts (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/20039682) Contact BBC News (https://www.bbc.com) Home (https://www.bbc.com/news) News (https://www.bbc.com/sport) Sport (https://www.bbc.com/future/earth) Earth (https://www.bbc.com/reel) Reel (https://www.bbc.com/worklife) Worklife (https://www.bbc.com/travel) Travel (https://www.bbc.com/culture) Culture (https://www.bbc.com/future) Future (https://www.bbc.com/culture/music) Music (https://www.bbc.co.uk/schedules/p00fzl9m) TV (https://www.bbc.com/weather) Weather (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds) Sounds (https://www.bbc.co.uk/usingthebbc/terms) Terms of Use (https://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc) About the BBC (https://www.bbc.com/usingthebbc/privacy) Privacy Policy (https://www.bbc.com/usingthebbc/cookies) Cookies (https://www.bbc.co.uk/accessibility) Accessibility Help (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/guidance) Parental Guidance (https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact) Contact the BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/careers) Careers (https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcnewsletter) BBC emails for you (https://www.bbc.com/advertisingcontact/) Advertise with us Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidance/links-and-feeds) Read about our approach to external linking. ()