Drone Photographer Accidentally Captures Devastating Nepal Mudslide
In Nepal, drone photographer Hei Mu captured a mudslide triggered by a glacial collapse in the Himalayas, located south of the 24,000-foot Langtang Lirung peak. The video, which was posted on RedNote, depicts plumes of ice and rock tumbling above the clouds. Mu later identified the loud sounds as an avalanche and mudslide. BBC Verify corroborated that the footage aligned with the floodwater flow in the Trishuli River. The collapse unleashed 500 million tons of rock and ice down Langtang's northern face, leading to over 950 fatalities in Nepal and China, with 4,400 individuals unaccounted for. Additionally, at least 900 workers remain trapped in 12 compromised hydropower projects, as rescuers supply oxygen amid the urgency. Climate change is affecting glacial stability.
Key facts
- Drone photographer Hei Mu accidentally captured the mudslide caused by a glacial collapse in Nepal.
- The footage was posted on RedNote and shows the collapse starting at about 10 seconds in.
- The collapse occurred south of Langtang Lirung, a 24,000-foot (7,000-meter) peak.
- BBC Verify authenticated the footage, matching the direction of flood water down the Trishuli River.
- The collapse brought down 500 million tons of rock and ice on Langtang's north face.
- The death toll in Nepal and China has surpassed 950, with over 4,400 people missing.
- At least 900 workers are trapped in 12 hydropower projects, with 500 in tunnels.
- Jakob Steiner, a geoscientist, described the rescue as a race against time.
- The incident was reported by PetaPixel on August 31, 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Hei Mu
Institutions
- RedNote
- BBC Verify
- Nepali Times
- PetaPixel
- Associated Press
- University of Graz
Locations
- Nepal
- China
- Langtang Lirung
- Trishuli River
- Dhaka
- Bangladesh
- Austria