Nepal floods: Satellite imagery shows riverside towns buried under debris

At least three riverside towns in Central Nepal: Trishuli, Betrawati, Tupche, have been buried under debris and silt, a comparison of satellite imagery from before and after the August 26thflash flood disaster indicates. Suhora Technologies, an India-based space-data analytics and intelligence firm, has analysed high-resolution satellite images of the area, providing among the first independent looks at building-level impact. Suhora sourced these images from providers such as Airbus, Maxar, BlackSky, Satellogic, among others.

This week's glacial collapse caused an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border, unleashing a massive surge of ice, rock, and debris into the Bhote Koshi river system racing downstream into the parts of central Nepal, tearing through Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts. Over 570 people have lost their lives in this tragedy and estimates suggest that over 1,900 are missing.

Comparing the satellite images of Betrawati captured before and after the disaster, Suhora's analysis highlighted that riverside town's commercial core has been buried under mud, boulders, and debris. "Bridges washed out, cutting off ground access to the area. Power lines and substations damaged, disrupting communications," the firm stated. Imagery from Trishuli and Tupche also indicated similar extent of damage caused by debris impact.

Suhora mentioned that this first-look assessment is based on their own analysis, identifying structures showing visible signs of damage for supposedly further review. It is an initial observation, not a final damage assessment - validation will continue as more data comes in.

With ground access severely disrupted, satellite imagery gives responders a verified' view of the damage without needing to physically reach the site first - helping prioritize where relief and recovery efforts are needed most, Suhora stated.

New Glacial Lake Found at the Ice-Avalanche Source

Following Suhora’s initial assessment of the Betrawati damage, the company said it has identified a newly formed lake at the source of the ice-rock avalanche that triggered the Bhote Koshi–Trishuli flood. Captured via high-resolution optical imagery (09:52 IST) on 27 August 2026, the lake now spans approximately 20.25 hectares at the point of origin in the high-altitude Lhende Khola region, the firm stated.

According to the Suhora analysis, this newly formed water body is a critical development to monitor - a lake at the source of an avalanche/debris-flow event can indicate ongoing meltwater accumulation and raises the possibility of further flooding downstream, if left unchecked.