Fatal landslides in March 2026
In March 2026 I recorded 61 fatal landslides causing 520 fatalities, the highest March total on record. This is my regular update for the number of fatal global landslides, focusing on March 2026. AAs usual, this data has been collected in line with the methodology described in Froude and Petley (2018) and in Petley (2012). References are listed below – please cite these articles if you use this analysis. Data presented in these updates should be treated as being provisional at this stage. The headline figures are as follows: March 2026: 61 fatal landslides causing 520 fatalities; This is very surprising total once…
Raknehaugen in Norway: an Iron Age memorial to a landslide
An Iron Age burial mound in Norway has been reinterpreted as being a memorial for a catastrophic landslide during a period of climatic instability. There is a very interesting article (Gustavsen 2026) in the European Journal of Archaeology that re-examines an Iron Age mound known as Raknehaugen (Rakni’s Mound) in Norway. This mound has, until now, been interpreted as being the burial site of the a high status Iron Age person. However, the new interpretation suggests that it might be a “communal, ritual response to a catastrophic landslide that took place in the wake of the AD 536 ‘Dust Veil’ climatic crisis.”…
On the economic benefits of rural roads in Nepal
A new paper (Adhikari et al. 2026) in the journal Asian Development Review shows that earthen roads in the hilly areas of Nepal generate limited economic benefits but carry a high landslide cost. Loyal readers of this blog will have seen many posts that cover the problematic landslide history of low technology rural roads in Nepal. I have demonstrated repeatedly that these so-called “bulldozer” roads, built with low levels engineering input, lead to large numbers of landslides. However, the arguments in favour of these roads focus on the benefits of rural access – essentially these corridors provide access to education,…
The 12 March 2026 Kursebi landslide in Georgia
A large landslide in Tkibuli municipality has rendered 45 families homeless and has caused damage over an area of 58 hectares. Early in the morning of 12 March 2026, a landslide struck a small village in Tkibuli municipality of rural Georgia. The Kursebi landslide has rendered 45 families homeless, causing damage over a surface area…
The unusual 1 June 2025 Dingqing landslide on the Tibetan Plateau
A new paper (Yunjian et al. 2026) in the journal Landslides discusses a 2 million cubic metre landslide that was triggered by freeze-thaw processes. On 1 June 2025, the Dingqing landslide occurred on the Tibetan Plateau. The landslide struck a temporary encampment being used by collectors of medicinal fungus, killing ten people. This landslide has…
Monitoring pre- and post-failure InSAR-derived deformation in surface mining complexes
A new paper in the International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation uses InSAR to explore the complex patterns of deformation that occur in and around large mining operations. I have frequently discussed landslides in mining operations on this site, highlighting repeatedly the unacceptable losses that result from slope failures. In many cases, these…
A renewed phase of movement at the Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex in Rancho Palos Verdes
Heavy winter rainfall has triggered further movement at this infamous landslide site in California, causing damage to properties and infrastructure The Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex in Rancho Palos Verdes in California frequently makes news headlines as phases of movement cause property damage. California has suffered a wet winter, which has driven a new phase of…
Fatal landslides in Nepal since 1968
Since 1968, there have been over 1,400 fatal landslides in Nepal, killing over 6,000 people. I’m currently writing a paper on the patterns of fatal landslides in Nepal since 1968. This is an update on the paper we wrote almost 20 years ago (Petley et al. 2007) that examined the changing patterns of landslides there.…
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About Dave
Dave Petley is the Vice-Chancellor and President of Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom. His blog provides commentary and analysis of landslide events occurring worldwide, including the landslides themselves, latest research, and conferences and meetings.