Terrifying footage captured the exact moment a huge chunk of mountain in Nepal disappeared, sending terrified villagers sprinting through mud and vegetation as their homes were swallowed by the earth.
The shocking video, which has gone viral, shows a rural hillside in the Himalayan foothills giving way in little more than a few seconds. Dust and debris billow into the air while locals, including a woman in a bright pink jacket, can be seen running in panic as the ground they were standing on collapses behind them.
The clip, filmed amid days of torrential rain, captures the raw terror on the ground: shaky camerawork, screams, and people scrambling through thick green plants as the slope above them shears off and thunders into the valley.
The latest disaster comes just weeks after catastrophic flooding and landslides in late August killed more than 1,000 people and left thousands missing. This weekend’s downpours have already claimed at least 24 lives across several districts, with 14 more people unaccounted for.
Baglung district has been among the worst hit. Police say ten people died there, including an entire family of four, a 36-year-old mother and her three young sons aged 13, eight and three, who were buried when their house was crushed while they slept in Nisikhola. An 80-year-old man and his 66-year-old wife were also killed when their home was swept away. Eight houses in one village alone were destroyed.
Superintendent of Police Phanindra Prasai confirmed four deaths and one missing person in Tamankhola rural municipality and five more deaths in Nisikhola. Chief District Officer Krishna Prasad Acharya said early warnings had prevented even greater loss of life.
Officials report 143 houses completely destroyed and 51 more damaged across the affected areas. The Kali Gandaki and Marsyangdi rivers have been blocked in places by debris, raising fears of sudden outburst floods downstream.
Rescue teams continue to search the rubble as rain persists in parts of the country. For many families already grieving last month’s catastrophe, the new footage is a grim reminder of how quickly the Himalayas can turn deadly.
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