Rescuers are battling extreme conditions in Nepal as a catastrophic flood, triggered by a glacier collapse, has obliterated villages and left thousands feared dead. The deluge of mud, rock, and ice swept down the Rasuwa valley, causing widespread destruction and leaving hundreds of tourists and locals missing.
Initial reports indicate that 157 bodies had been recovered by late Wednesday, but authorities expect the death toll to rise significantly. The disaster struck near the Nepal-China border, where a large section of a glacier appears to have broken away following a landslide, sending an estimated 2,000-foot mass of ice crashing down. This event blocked the Lhende river, a tributary of the Trishuli, leading to a massive surge of water that inundated the valley.