Rescue mission begins after India glacier collapse triggers flood

A rescue mission is underway in northern India after a piece of a glacier fell into a river and triggered a huge flood.

A glacier is a huge sheet of slowly moving ice, which in this case was located in the famous Himalayan mountains.

The floodwaters burst open a dam and a huge amount of water poured through a valley in the state of Uttarakhand.

Hundreds of troops and military helicopters have been sent to the region to help with rescue efforts.

Officials say 25 people have been rescued so far but at least 14 people are dead and 150 are still missing.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet on Sunday: "India stands with Uttarakhand and the nation prays for everyone's safety there."

Leaders from across the world, including UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, have also sent their condolences to families affected.

"My thoughts are with the people of India and rescue workers in Uttarakhand as they respond to devastating flooding from the glacier collapse," Mr Johnson said in a tweet.

Uttarakhand police said an avalanche struck at about 11am local time (5.30am UK time) on Sunday, destroying a dam known as the Rishiganga Hydroelectric Project.

Police said the impact pushed more water along the Dhauli Ganga river, damaging another power project downstream too.

Video showed the floodwater barrelling through the area, leaving destruction behind as it passed through.

Emergency workers had earlier evacuated dozens of villages, but authorities later said the main flood danger had passed.

Most of the missing are believed to be workers from two hydro power plants in the area.

Emergency crew have managed to rescue 16 workers who had been trapped inside a tunnel that had been filled with debris.

The incident is still being investigated but it is not yet clear what might have caused the piece of glacier to break off.

"The remoteness of where this happened means no-one has a definitive answer, so far," BBC environment correspondent Navin Singh Khadka said.

"Experts say one possibility is that massive ice blocks broke off the glacier due to a temperature rise, releasing a huge amount of water. That could have caused avalanches bringing down rocks and mud," he added.

The state of Uttarakhand, in the western Himalayas, is regularly hit by flash floods and landslides due to its close position to a major mountain range.