A high-altitude glacial collapse in the Himalayas unleashed a destructive wall of freezing water and debris that carved a path of destruction across Nepal, but footage showing a raging river seemingly filled with tree logs was not filmed after the disaster. The clip previously circulated a year earlier during flooding in India's Himachal Pradesh state.
"God is great. Pray for Nepal," says part of the Malay-language caption of a Facebook video shared on August 27, 2026.
The video, which appears to have been filmed from an elevated vantage point overlooking a valley, shows a river filled with tree trunks and logs rushing beneath a bridge.
The caption adds: "17 Malaysians among hundreds missing after flash floods in Nepal. Floods caused by the overflow of the Bhote Koshi River swept away many villages and destroyed roads, buildings, and hydropower projects in the Rasuwagadhi–Timure area."
The same footage was also used in similar Facebook and TikTok posts in multiple languages, including Spanish and Bengali, after a tsunami-like glacial flood ripped through a valley on the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, wiping out entire settlements ( archived link).
Among the more than 1,200 people killed and nearly 4,800 missing are scores of pilgrims who come to the Himalayas seeking spiritual renewal, drawn by Tibet's sacred, snow-capped Mount Kailash ( archived link).
Thousands of devotees, including dozens from Malaysia, are reported to have made the pilgrimage this year and are among those listed as uncontactable following the disaster ( archived link).
The circulating video, however, was not filmed during the disaster.
A reverse image search using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to the same footage that was published in an X post on August 29, 2025 ( archived link).
Its caption indicates it shows the logs in the Ravi River in the town of Chamba, in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.
Local media reported a "heavy cloudburst and flash flood" in the upper catchment areas of Chamba between August 24 and August 26, 2025, which led to extensive flooding ( archived link).
The Ravi River's swollen currents caused extensive damage, carrying away logs, debris and property along the riverbank ( archived link). Officials said the rising waters had also damaged several houses and bridges in Chamba and adjoining areas.
The footage matches imagery of the Shitla Bridge in Chamba available on Google Maps ( archived link).
AFP has debunked other misinformation that surfaced in the wake of the Nepal-Tibet disaster.