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. […]
monsoons
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
The exceptional occurrence of landslides in the 2025 South Asia summer monsoon
In NW India, rainfall in the 2025 monsoon was 27% above the long term average. Over 2,500 people were killed in India and Pakistan by landslides and floods as a result. In India and Pakistan, the 2025 summer monsoon generated unusual amount of landslide activity. I described some of these events along the way, most […]
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The cause of the 5 August 2025 Dharali disaster in India
Planet satellite imagery has started to reveal the events that killed 70 people at in northern India. It clearly indicates that intense rainfall triggered landslides that transitioned into channelised debris flows. On 5 August 2025, a series of terrifying landslides struck Dharali in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, northern India. I blogged about this at the time – the Wikipedia […]
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The devastating 26 to 28 September 2024 rainfall event in Nepal
The most severe rainfall event ever recorded in Nepal impacted about 2.6 million people, causing losses of US$370 million and about 270 lives. Between 26 and 28 September 2024, a devastating late monsoon rainfall event in Nepal triggered hundreds of landslides. In landslide terms, this was the most serious event recorded in Nepal outside of […]
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A very initial perspective on the 5 August 2025 debris flow at Tharali / Dharali in northern India
A massive landslide has destroyed a remote Himalayan village. Fifty or more people may have died. Astonishing and terrifying footage has appeared today of a dreadful debris flow that struck the village of Tharali (also called Dharali in some places) in Uttarakhand today. The video has been widely shared on social media. This is a […]
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The 26 August 2022 debris flow at Budai Kamar in the Swat Valley, Pakistan
The Landslide Blog is written by Dave Petley, who is widely recognized as a world leader in the study and management of landslides. On 26 August 2022, an extreme monsoonal rainfall event struck the Swat Valley in northern Pakistan. This is a remote area with poor communications, so this event has not received the attention […]
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Climate Change Amplified the Effects of Extreme Rainfall in Nepal
A new study indicates that rapid urbanization and deforestation also contributed to devastation caused by floods and landslides in 2024.
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The 30 July 2024 Wayanad landslides in Kerala, India
The Landslide Blog is written by Dave Petley, who is widely recognized as a world leader in the study and management of landslides. On 30 July 2024, heavy rainfall triggered landslides in the Wayanad district of Kerala, India. At the time of writing, the confirmed loss of life has reached 392 people, with a further […]
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Early indications of a landslide disaster in Wayanad, Kerala, India
The Landslide Blog is written by Dave Petley, who is widely recognized as a world leader in the study and management of landslides. Reports are emerging from India this morning that a significant rainfall-induced landslide disaster has occurred in Wayanad in Kerala, in the southwest of the country. At the time of writing, reports are […]
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Fatal landslides in Nepal in 2024 to date
The Landslide Blog is written by Dave Petley, who is widely recognized as a world leader in the study and management of landslides. As loyal readers of this blog are aware, I have long had a particular interest in landslides in Nepal. This is partly because of my long term research links to that country, […]