First scientific article on the 26 August catastrophe in the Himalaya

Following a rapid, joint effort, and a fast review process, our freshly published paper is the first peer-reviewed study reconstructing and characterizing the cascading catastrophes that have hit the Himalaya on August 26th, 2026. The main event was a rock (and some ice) fall on the north flank of Tsangbu Ri mountain, of about 100 million m3 volume, which triggered an extreme flash flood along the Trishuli River. Seismometers at 100 km distance from the river vibrated for hours, and the event was detected all around the globe. Full details are in our paper published in Seismica today by Adhikari, Subedi et al.

A related radio interview in the CQFD emission on RTS is available here (in French). (08.10.2026)

A summary in non-technical language is available in this article on Inside Climate News. (14.10.2026)

Newspaper article in Le Temps on the event and the urgent need for an early warning system: in English, in French. (22.10.2026)

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The estimated volume fits the amount of rock and ice seen on a July 1st satellite photo, and the scarp of the August 26th mass movement (in red). Background image source: Airbus, CNES, GoogleEarth.