A tourist filming the mountainous landscape in Gyirong County in China’s Xizang Autonomous Region accidentally captured what experts believe was the high-altitude glacier collapse that triggered the deadly mudslide at Gyirong Port on the Nepal-China border.According to China Xinhua News report, Kang Shichang, director of the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, confirmed the location visible in the video corresponds with the area identified in remote-sensing imagery as the source of the disaster.The footage is believed to show the glacier collapse on the Nepalese side that set off the chain of events leading to the mudslide at Gyirong Port, the report said.A tourist filming the scenery in Gyirong County, China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, accidentally captured the moment of a high-altitude glacier collapse in Nepal.Kang Shichang, director of the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment under the Chinese Academy of Sciences,… pic.twitter.com/Sc3lIbjKWo— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) August 29, 2026The disaster struck on August 26, when an ice-rock collapse in the high-altitude region of Nepal sent huge quantities of ice, rock and debris down the mountain valleys. The material developed into a powerful debris flow that crossed towards China and devastated the Gyirong Port area in Xizang.Chinese media reported that the glacier collapse occurred at an elevation of about 5,140 metres and covered an area of roughly 620,000 square metres. The resulting debris flow travelled nearly 20 kilometres, dropping about 3,300 metres in elevation before reaching Gyirong Port in around seven minutes.The disaster caused extensive destruction on both sides of the Nepal-China border, with villages, roads, bridges and other infrastructure damaged or swept away. Rescue and recovery operations have continued amid difficult terrain and concerns over further flooding from a barrier lake formed in the affected area.China warns of fresh flood threatAccording to reports, Nepal is on alert over the possibility of another flood, just four days after a devastating flash flood hit several parts of the country. Chinese authorities have warned that a temporary lake formed upstream could breach at any moment.China conveyed the alert to Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs after detecting changes in the lake, including a gradual darkening of the water. Beijing has also said its modelling suggests that if the natural barrier partially collapses, the resulting surge could send a maximum flow of about 500 cubic metres per second into the river system.The worsening weather has already complicated rescue efforts in Nepal. Rescue operations in the Trishuli region were temporarily suspended after heavy rain intensified, raising the river level and forcing authorities to halt helicopter operations due to adverse weather conditions.