A large landslide has destroyed a 662 m long highway viaduct in China. Over the last two days there has been considerable media coverage of a large, highly destructive rockslide that occurred at Hongqi Bridge in Sichuan Province, China. There is a very interesting set of images of the bridge during construction on the Highest […]
The Landslide Blog
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Global fatal landslides in August 2025
In August 2025, I recorded 104 fatal landslides leading to 2,365 fatalities, a record total number of landslides for August. Loyal readers will know that each year, August is one of the two peak months for fatal landslides. In 2025, I recorded 104 fatal landslides leading to 2,365 fatalities (but please see below as I […]
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Pikillaqta in Cusco: the role of an earthquake-induced debris flow in about 900 AD
The Landslide Blog is written by Dave Petley, who is widely recognized as a world leader in the study and management of landslides. According to Wikipedia, Pikillaqta is a large archaeological site located 20 km to the east of Cusco in Peru. Inhabited by the Wari people, it was abandoned at about 900 AD for […]
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The 4 November 2025 landslide at Mae Moh Mine in Thailand
A landslide in coal waste covering about a square kilometre was triggered by heavy rainfall. At about 4 am on 4 November 2025, a very large landslide occurred in a coal waste pile at the Mae Moh Mine in Thailand. This is an extremely large coal mining site that is co-located with electricity generating plants. […]
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The 31 October 2025 fatal landslides in Chesongoch, Kenya
It is reported that 51 people have been killed by a series of debris flows in Kenya, triggered by heavy rainfall. On 31 October 2025, heavy rainfall triggered a series of large landslides in the vicinity of Chesongoch in Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya. To date, 26 people are known to have been killed and it […]
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Landslides from the 3 November 2025 Afghanistan earthquake
Some videos have emerged from Afghanistan this morning, reportedly showing landslides and rockfalls triggered by the M=6.3 earthquake. At 12:59 am on 3 November 2025 (local time, which is 20:29 UT on 2 November 2025), an M=6.3 earthquake struck near to Mazar-E Sharif in Afghanistan. Initial reports suggest at least 20 fatalities have occurred, but […]
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The 31 October 2025 landslide at Kukas in Enga Province, Papua New Guinea
An early morning landslide, triggered by heavy rainfall, killed at least 22 people in rural PNG. At about 2 am on 31 October 2025, a landslide struck a rural community at Kukas in Enga Province, Papua New Guinea. News reports suggest that it was triggered by heavy rainfall and that 22 bodies have been recovered […]
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The 22 May 2025 Qingyang landslide in Guizhou Province, China
A c1.4 million cubic metre landslide, triggered by intense rainfall, killed 19 people. On 22 May 2025, the large Qingyang landslide occurred in Dafang County, Guizhou Province, China. This landslide was widely reported to have “trapped” 19 people. In a paper in the journal Landslides, Wen et al. (2025) provide an initial but very helpful […]
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Some useful tools for monitoring the evolution and behaviour of Hurricane Melissa
Various online datasets will allow a detailed understanding of Hurricane Melissa as it impacts Jamaica and then Cuba Hurricane Melissa is now making headlines around the world in anticipation of its landfall today. As always with tropical cyclones, the picture is evolving continuously as the storm evolves. Their behaviour is highly complex. I thought I’d […]
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Anticipating the impact of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica
Hurricane Melissa is bearing down on Jamaica, with many areas likely to see over 500 mm of rainfall. The impacts could be extremely significant. Hurricane Melissa has strengthened substantially over the weekend, and is now on course to track across Jamaica in the next couple of days. Various media agencies have identified the threats that […]