Satellite images reveal total destruction of border settlements after Nepal-Tibet flash flood

Vantor’s high-resolution satellite imagery confirms that the Rasuwagadhi crossing between Nepal and Tibet, along with surrounding multi-storey buildings, a basketball court and a bridge, have been completely obliterated by the recent flash flood. The disaster, caused by a fragment of a Himalayan glacier crashing into the river, caused water levels to surge up to nine metres within 30 minutes, resulting in at least 392 deaths and hundreds of missing persons, including 39 Australians.

Sentinel-2 data, highlighted by researcher Simon Gascoin of the Center for Spatial Studies of the Biosphere, shows the flood’s force carried water up the terrain for at least 2.5 kilometres. Downstream, the low-lying settlement of Syapru Besi was swept away, leaving only mud and debris, while the Trishuli River bridge vanished from the landscape. Access to the devastated area remains extremely difficult due to the loss of roads and bridges, hampering rescue efforts.