- China has paused rescue work at the epicentre of the catastrophic flooding in Tibet this week amid fears that a lake formed at the site was at risk of bursting, as the overall death toll in Nepal rose to 469 people, with more than 1,300 missing.
- Emergency teams that had earlier accessed the area have been ordered to withdraw one kilometre.
- More than 500 foreign citizens were among 826 people missing in Nepal, including 177 from India, 90 from the US, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain and 25 from Canada.
- A lake formed after a landslide in Tibet on Wednesday, causing catastrophic flash floods that thundered down valleys and obliterated entire villages.
- Officials have been monitoring rising water upstream from Gyriong port - the land border between Nepal and Tibet which was swept away in a torrent of mud and water during the landslide on Wednesday.
- Chinese state news agency Xinhua has said that a lake formed after the flash floods is at "high risk of breaching and sending floodwaters downstream", according to the AFP news agency.
- Forecasts suggest "inflows into the lake could reach about 3 million cubic meters (3bn litres) over the next three days amid continued rainfall" - the equivalent of 1,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
- Rescuers in the area have been told to stop operations for now, according to reports in Chinese state media.
China has suspended rescue operations at the Nepal-Tibet border due to fears of a potential second flood from a lake formed by debris after a landslide.5
The lake is at high risk of breaching, with forecasts suggesting inflows could reach about 3 million cubic meters (3 billion liters) over the next three days.8
Chinese state media reported that more than 550 people are missing on the Tibetan side, including 260 foreign nationals such as pilgrims heading to Mount Kailash.
In Nepal, the death toll has risen to 469, with over 1,300 people reported missing, including 177 from India, 90 from the US, 34 from Australia, 33 from Britain, and 25 from Canada.
Rescue teams in Nepal are facing challenging conditions, with army helicopters deployed to rescue about 100 people trapped in a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydropower project.
Nepal army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet stated, “Our focus is in search and rescue of people … some people are trapped in the tunnel”.
The prime minister’s office confirmed that the army has already rescued 350 workers and local people from the tunnel amid risky conditions.
As the situation develops, officials continue to monitor the lake's water levels, fearing further flooding could cause more devastation downstream.
“The lake formed after the landslide could receive inflows of about 3 million cubic meters over three days, equivalent to 1,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Meanwhile, army helicopters are working to rescue about 100 people trapped in a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A hydropower project, with 350 already rescued.”
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The Guardian
