Photos show aftermath of flash floods in Nepal

Rescue teams are searching for hundreds of missing people along the Nepal-Tibet border after the collapse of a glacier sent a deadly wall of water and mud several stories high tearing through communities a day earlier. Videos of the disaster showed people running before the floodwaters swallowed them up and washed out buildings and bridges. At least 273 people were killed. More than 1,300 are missing, including foreigners and pilgrims. And hundreds have been displaced across the Himalayan region. The steep slopes and the lush valleys below the Himalayan mountain range are especially vulnerable to flooding and landslides, and extreme weather events. Melting glaciers have become more common because of human-caused climate change.

Scientists say a deadly flash flood in Nepal on Wednesday was likely caused by a glacier chunk breaking off and temporarily damming a river. This may have led to a surge of water downstream, killing at least 273 people and leaving over 1,300 missing. The U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude 5.2 glacier collapse, causing catastrophic debris flow. Researchers are still analyzing satellite and ground-level data to understand the event. Experts say it's too early to directly link the disaster to global warming, but note that rising temperatures increase such risks, especially in the rapidly warming Himalayan region.