Gita Chaudhary: A landslide in Nepal in August, caused by a melting glacier, resulted in more than 1,500 deaths. Our verdict: False.
Gita Chaudhary made the claim on 12 November 2026 at the Cop31 climate summit, as reported by The Guardian.
Our verdict
False
The claim is false. A landslide did hit Nepal in August 2026 and a melting glacier did contribute to it, but the death toll was not more than 1,500. Reports give figures of at least 1,453, at least 389, and over 6,000, none of which match the claim.
What we found
The claim has three parts: that a landslide happened in Nepal in August, that a melting glacier caused it, and that it killed more than 1,500 people. The first two parts hold up. An NPR report from 28 August 2026 describes a landslide and flood in Nepal triggered by a glacier collapse, and an EarthSky report from 27 August 2026 describes the same event on 26 August 2026. Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority also confirmed the ice-and-rock avalanche and flood in the Bhotekoshi–Trishuli–Narayani river corridor.
The death toll does not hold up. The Hindu reported on 29 September 2026 that official figures put the August 26 flash floods at at least 1,453 deaths. Al Jazeera reported on 27 August 2026 that at least 389 people had died in Nepal, with 3 more in Tibet, and that over 1,500 were missing. A paper in the International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research reported a figure of over 6,000 deaths. None of these figures is more than 1,500 in the way the claim states, and the sources disagree with each other as well.
Because the death-toll part of the claim is wrong, the claim as a whole is false. The speaker, Gita Chaudhary, is Nepal's Minister of Agriculture, Forests, and Environment, and she made the claim at the Cop31 climate summit, as reported by The Guardian.
The evidence
3 of 8 sources contradict the claim; none support it.
- Background
The Guardian reported that Gita Chaudhary said a landslide in August, caused by a melting glacier, resulted in more than 1,500 deaths. [1]
- Background
NPR reported that a landslide and flood occurred in Nepal in late August 2026, triggered by a glacier collapse. [2]
- Background
EarthSky reported that a landslide and flash flood triggered by a glacier collapse occurred in Nepal on 26 August 2026. [3]
- Background
Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority confirmed the 26 August 2026 ice-and-rock avalanche and flood in the Bhotekoshi–Trishuli–Narayani river corridor. [4]
- Contradicts the claim
The Hindu reported that official figures put the August 26 flash floods at at least 1,453 deaths. [5]
- Contradicts the claim
Al Jazeera reported at least 389 deaths in Nepal and 3 in Tibet, with over 1,500 people missing across the region. [6]
- Contradicts the claim
A paper in the International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research reported a casualty figure of over 6,000, which also does not match the claim. [7]
- Background
A StoryMaps account confirms a flood event occurred in Trishuli, Nepal, in August 2026. [8]
What we could not confirm
- The exact final death toll could not be confirmed, as the sources give different figures and rescue operations were still ongoing.
- Later official updates that might change the death-toll estimate were not available.
How we checked
We looked at news reports and official assessments of the August 2026 Nepal landslide and flood, including statements from Nepal's disaster management authority, and compared the death-toll figures they gave with the figure in the claim. We reviewed 8 relevant sources.
Sources
- [1]www.theguardian.com · The planet ‘is being killed’, Greta Thunberg tells Cop31 climate summit · November 12, 2026
- [2]npr.org · A melting glacier contributed to the deadly Nepal floods. We can expect more like this · August 28, 2026
- [3]earthsky.org · Nepal flash flood nightmare: What caused it? · August 27, 2026
- [4]ndrrma.gov.np · Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) · September 1, 2026
- [5]thehindu.com · 27 killed across Nepal due to incessant rainfall since September 24: Authorities · September 29, 2026
- [6]aljazeera.com · More than 390 dead, 1,500 missing in Nepal and Tibet after Himalayan floods · August 27, 2026
- [7]ijfmr.com · Himalayan Nepal-Tibet Tsunami: Genesis, Causes, and Critical Justice Appraisals · September 1, 2026
- [8]storymaps.arcgis.com · August 2026 Nepal Trishuli Flood
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