Heavy rain in the area caused reduction in the shear strength of the overburden mass. Heavy discharge  in the Dhauliganga river had eroded the toe leading to failure of the slope. 

An Interim Report on Preliminary  Geological  Slope Stability Assessment of the Recent Disaster Affected Areas in Parts of Chamoli District, Uttarakhand by Bhupendra Singh, Bhupender Singh, Ajay Kumar and Arindam Roy, Senior Geologists, M-IV, NR GSI Dehr
UK_CHA_SH_ 012
1 km down stream of Suraithota.
Concrete retaining wall suppoted by boulder cratre wall, gabbion wall above concrete wall.
Heavy precipitation, saturation of overburden mass resulting in reduction of shear strength.