The search for more than 1,300 missing people continues Thursday after a wall of water, mud and debris tore through communities along the Nepal-China border.
At least 273 people are now confirmed dead across Nepal and China’s Tibet region, with the death toll rising sharply overnight.
Hundreds of foreign nationals are among those still unaccounted for, including more than 60 Americans.
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People from more than 30 countries are missing. Many were traveling through the region for trekking or on a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site that draws visitors from across the region and around the world.
Widespread destruction
Footage coming out of the area shows just how quickly the flooding overwhelmed communities, with a massive wall of water and mud sweeping through roads, buildings and a border crossing.
In some places, mud reached the second floors of buildings. At least 19 bridges and about 25 miles of road were swept away, while cars were buried and debris left hanging from trees and power lines.
At one point, the Trishuli River rose as much as 27 feet in about half an hour.
One survivor said he ran to the terrace of his home as the flood reached the top floor. His wife was buried in the mudslide, while he remained on the terrace for hours before a helicopter rescued him.
Rescue crews are now relying heavily on helicopters to search for survivors and reach communities cut off by the destruction. Nepal has asked both India and China to help with rescue efforts.
The danger may not be over. Chinese authorities are also monitoring a dammed lake upstream that could pose another flood risk as rescue operations continue.
What caused the flooding?
Scientists increasingly believe the disaster began with the collapse of part of a glacier high in the Himalayas.
Satellite imagery indicates ice, rock, snow and sediment fell roughly 4,000 feet into the valley below, sending a powerful surge of water and debris through the river system. The U.S. Geological Survey initially registered the shaking as a seismic event before determining it came from the collapse, not an earthquake.
Researchers say rising temperatures are accelerating glacier melt across the Himalayas, increasing the risk of collapses and sudden flooding.
The same region was hit by deadly flash flooding last year after a glacial lake in Tibet overflowed.
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