At least 10,000 families lose homes in ‘catastrophic’ Nepal flash floods: Red Cross

At least 10,000 families are estimated to have lost their homes in devastating flash floods in Nepal, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said Thursday, describing the situation as "catastrophic."

"The situation is catastrophic," IFRC spokesperson Tommaso Della Longa told CNN.

He said at least 10,000 families were now estimated to be without homes, while efforts to reach them remained extremely difficult because roads and bridges had been destroyed, communications were down, and some communities could only be accessed by helicopter.

Speaking to the BBC, David Fisher, head of the IFRC delegation in Nepal, said entire villages and markets had disappeared in the deadly flash floods.

According to satellite imagery, the floods were likely triggered by a large chunk of ice breaking off a Himalayan glacier about 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) northeast of the Rasuwa-Rasuwagadhi border crossing.

The collapse sent tons of ice and rock tumbling into the Bhotekoshi River below.