Satellite imagery from US-based intelligence firm Vantor and from Planet Labs has provided a stark before-and-after view of the disaster, showing entire villages buried under mud and debris, bridges swept away, and hydroelectric power stations destroyed.
Among the worst-hit locations is the key Nepal-Tibet border crossing, which was engulfed by floodwater. Shocking CCTV footage captured the moment as the deluge swept over buildings while people tried to escape. The satellite images show the site has been almost entirely washed away, with damage and mud visible more than 2.5 km upstream, reaching 100 metres above the area first hit.
A few miles south, the village of Timure has largely disappeared. The steep valley walls, rising up to 50 metres above the water line, were lined with houses — most of which are now gone or covered in mud.
Further downstream, the village of Syapru Besi is now covered by mud, rock and debris. Houses, bridges and a hydroelectric power station have vanished. In the larger town of Trishuli, about 45 km from the border, an entire neighbourhood has been essentially washed away. Verified videos show a bridge collapsing as the river surged, and people inside a bus crying out in distress as they tried to flee.
Other dramatic footage shows survivors sheltering inside a house as floodwater washed away everything around them, knocking large metal debris and a vehicle toward the building. The house remained intact, and survivors were later seen standing in mud once the water receded.
Satellite imagery from Planet Labs has also provided a clearer view of the disaster's origin at the collapsed glacier. A verified drone video captured the moment of the collapse. The satellite image shows an enormous chunk of the glacier has fallen away, carving a path of rock and debris. Trees and vegetation have been stripped at a height of more than 300 metres above the riverbed.