Disaster in the Himalayas - how a rare February landslide left more than 200 dead

FILE PHOTO: An aerial view shows a damaged barrage after a flash flood swept a mountain valley destroying dams and bridges, in Tapovan in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, February 12, 2021. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File Photo

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A landslide 20 kilometres west of Nanda Devi, India's second-highest peak, resulted in a flash flood on Feb. 7 that left more than 200 dead, and swept away two state hydro-electric projects, according to satellite imagery reviewed by Reuters.

Avalanches and flash flooding in the Himalayas are common during summer and monsoon months, as melting snow and heavy rains combine. But incidents like this are rare so early in the year, alarming scientists studying climate change that is rapidly heating the world's highest mountains.