Part of Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on 7 February, triggering an avalance that struck the Rishiganga Hydroeletric Dam. The collision at the dam and influx of water caused a surge of flood water along the Dhauliganga river.
Dozens of villages along the river have been evacuated, and rescue operations are underway to free people trapped at the dam or elsewhere in the flood's path, but more than a hundred people have been confirmed lost with their current status unknown.